


Beyond the Stars: A Continuation of the Rise of Skywalker; A Reylo Story

by spideybelle_granger



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst and Feels, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Not Related, Parents Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Redeemed Ben Solo, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey Solo, Reylofest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:27:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 39,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26164108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideybelle_granger/pseuds/spideybelle_granger
Summary: Do not read if you don't want spoilers from The Rise of Skywalker!Ending after the defeat of Emperor Palpatine, Rey is hoping to start a new chapter after the end of the war with the newly turned Kylo Ren, now known as Ben Solo. Sadly, her dreams are crushed as suddenly as Ben's death and is forced to go through life differently than she had wanted. But something unexpected binds them past death and Rey learns what it truly means to love and be loved by someone.
Relationships: Finn/Rose Tico, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Zorii Bliss/Poe Dameron
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. Stay With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers and fellow Reylo shippers!
> 
> I started writing this a week after seeing The Rise of Skywalker because of how distraught I was that one of my favorite ships did not get the ending that they deserved. Yes, we got the kiss we all wanted, but at the price of Ben Solo dying, a little too quickly in my opinion. Another thing was that Rey ended the trilogy exactly how she started, alone. I hope that by starting with that scene of Ben's death that caused so many of us pain that I can maybe, just maybe, use this story to mend some of our broken hearts.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and may the force be with you!

_Rey_

Rey had died.

That was, for five minutes; after she had channeled the powers of all the Jedi before her. She had used all of her strength to defeat her grandfather, the evil Sith mastermind Emperor Palpatine.

Rey went out cold.

She opened her eyes to find herself in a tiny boat in the middle of a vast ocean. Dark water and fog surrounded her, though she was starting to see a small strip of beach on the horizon.

A thought then struck her as she felt the wind tugging on her soul.

Rey didn't want to be here in this small vessel fighting the storm.

She stood up, took a deep breath, and plunged into the unknown.

Rey was surrounded by darkness. Cold air seeped through her clothes and collected onto the moisture all over her sun-kissed skin, a mark of her former life on Jakku.

Something bony was underneath her, though it seemed too warm to be a rock or log. She was covered in this warmth now, and that's when she realized that she was alive again.

Her senses were returning slowly. There was the salty air of the caves of Exogol, the humidity brushing against her face. Rey's head was being propped up by what felt like a human hand and there was firm but gentle pressure on her stomach.

Someone else was still in the cave with her.

She began to think. The Emperor had been destroyed once and for all, his worshipers disappearing with him.

That only left one person, that is, if he had survived the fight too.

Rey opened her big hazel eyes.

There he was.

Ben Solo.

She had always felt a deep connection to him even when he was Kylo Ren, and had found herself finding a liking to him; though for a long time she wouldn't admit it and tried her best to hide it. But there was something about the way that he had fought alongside her in Supreme Leader Snoke's throne room that had stuck with her, though it wasn't until Ben came rushing to her aid on Exegol and fully came to the Light Side that her feelings were cemented.

Rey smiled up at him. "Ben," she said softly.

She gazed into his large brown eyes for mere minutes before he pulled her closer to him. Rey gave into all the urges that she had been suppressing for two years. She moved one hand to his head full of black hair, the other to his newly healed cheek, and kissed him.

Ben's kisses had been everything she'd imagined them to be, though there was no darkness that came with them as she had used to fear.

Kylo Ren was gone. Only Ben Solo remained.

They pulled away, but not very far as their foreheads were touching. Ben was smiling, the first time Rey had ever seen him do that since she'd known him. She herself felt giddy too as she grinned at him.

Ben leaned his head back so he could look at her again as she stroked his clean-shaven cheek. There was such an intense longing in his gaze as he took in every inch of her face, Rey didn't need their connection of the Force Dyad to feel it.

She wrapped her arms around Ben's broad shoulders as he held her close to him. His smooth chin felt cool against the bare skin on her shoulder as she rested her head against the crook in his neck.

Rey looked into Ben's eyes once more.

Something was wrong.

He started to lie down on the hard floor of the cave.

"No no no no no." Tears built up in her eyes as she leapt off his lap and grabbed his shoulder. "You can't go just now, Ben. We're only getting started. Stay with me. Stay with me!"

Ben held on to her face and wiped some of the tears away that were streaming down her cheeks. He smiled up at her lazily, the light already leaving his eyes. "Rey." He mumbled before his eyes glazed over and his body faded away from her.

The sob that had started to build up in her chest was released as she hugged her knees to her chest. Disappointment hung over her like a ghost. What was going to be the start of a beautiful way to start off winning the war had just died with Ben.

Rey picked herself up off the floor, grabbed Ben's tunic, hopped into Luke's X-Wing, and flew off to Endor.

She didn't look back once.


	2. Where Am I?

_Ben_

Ben Solo had died the way he wanted to.

He had redeemed himself from his former First Order ways by giving Rey, the only person in the whole galaxy that he had ever cared for, his life force.

That moment when he had woken up and sensed her death had been pure mental agony for him. He couldn't stand it.

So now Ben was in a boat that was much too small for him, floating across a dark ocean with thick fog surrounding him.

It was better that Rey had lived and not him. The Resistance would've thought that he had killed Rey if he had shown up at their base without her, or if word had gotten out that he'd survived.

And even if they didn't, Ben knew he would never have been welcome there. Not after all of the unspeakable horrors that he had committed as Kylo Ren.

Not now and not ever.

Rey was the only person to ever forgive him for being the monster that he was made to be.

Ben shuddered as he thought of Rey being where he was all alone. _How did she even get out of here?_ He thought to himself. Then he looked at the water and smiled to himself. _Clever girl._

Land came into view. There was a strip of sandy beach that lead into grassy fields. Hills rose up into the distance. Ben didn't see any sign of civilization beyond that.

He scratched his head as the boat pulled up onto the sandy shore. "Where the hell am I?"

Ben got up and started to walk through the sand to grass. His hand went instinctively to where his lightsaber would have been hung by his belt, but there was nothing there; not even the saber of his grandfather Anakin Skywalker, the weapon he had been wielding before his death.

He continued to walk toward the hills when he saw a vehicle coming towards him. It was a small grey landspeeder just big enough for two people, though he could only see one person in it.

Ben's muscles tensed all over his body as he braced himself for the worst. Several years of training taught him that.

The landspeeder came to a halt about seven feet in front of him. A man came out of the driver's seat. Ben analysed him. He was tallish, though shorter than him, with collarbone length dusty brown hair and short, kempt beard. He was dressed in a beige colored uniform that had a weird looking symbol that Ben didn't recognize.

The man extended a hand. "Hello, sir. My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. What is yours?"

Ben shook it gingerly. Rey may have brought his walls down, but that didn't mean that he would let them down for anyone else. "My name is Ben. Ben Solo."

"Well, Ben, I'm sure you have lots of questions right now, as everyone that has ended up here. Any that you would like me to answer?"

He hesitated. "Where am I?"

"You are on the outskirts of Al Sed Dur, one of the many planets for the dead. We aren't confined to any of them, but we get to choose where we want to stay."

Ben bit his lip as he continued to eye Qui Gon skeptically. "Who do you work for, and why are you here?"

Qui-Gon laughed. "Right to the point, very much like your father."

At this Ben sharply inhaled.

"I work for an agency called the Defenders of Peace. We're kind of like the Jedi of our former galaxy. We protect the people inside our lands and bring in the people arriving from their old life into their after life. That's why I'm here. To take you inside the town and bring you into our civilization. Come with me."

Still on guard, Ben followed Qui-Gon to his speeder and sat in the other seat. They drove through the hills. "Where are you taking me?"

"To our base that is on the eastern side of Al Sed Dur. You have to go through one of them to get into the town."

Sure enough, they were approaching a wide pewter and glass building that stretched from the crevasse of one hill to another. The eastern headquarters for the Defenders of Peace. They pulled into a massive garage that held many vehicles like the speeder they were riding in, as well as many other ones that Ben had never seen before.

They stepped into a room that Ben immediately recognized as an interrogation room. It was more friendly looking though than any of the ones he had used during his time in the First Order. There were less restraints.

Qui-Gon pointed to the chair across from him. "Please have a seat."

Ben reluctantly sat down. Bands appeared around his hands as the back of his chair shot up and a band encircled his forehead.

He panicked. "What's going on!"

"Relax, it's just one of our protocols. We need to take a look at your life to decide if we want you to be allowed entry to our city."

Ben seized up.

There was no way that these people were going to let him in. One look at his past would ensure that.

"Before we start, there's a question I must ask you."

Ben felt more unease. "Okay?"

"What are your intentions going to be when you enter our land?"

The answer seemed to spill out of him. "To wait for Rey."

"We shall see if you are lying or not."

A screen opened up on the wall in front of him and his life started to flash before his eyes.

Ben was a baby with a headful of black hair being held in his mother's arms. He was sleeping, a coo would escape out of his mouth here and there as Leia would smooth back dark curly locks from his tiny face. It was the most at peace that he had been in his entire life.

Then he was about five, bugging both his parents to stop working and play with him. But Ben was turned away every time with the same response. They were too busy, so he went and found his uncle Chewie.

Then Ben was about eight. He had gotten in trouble at school to try to get Han and Leia's attention. It had only succeeded in getting him grounded. He was pouting in his room, trying to use what little he knew of the Force to pick the lock on his door, but was unsuccessful. Young Ben growled and kicked the door before hopping up and down, grabbing at his throbbing foot.

Then Ben was about eleven. He was hiding behind the door to Han and Leia's room, listening as his parents fought about him.

"What are we going to do about Ben? This is the third time this month that he's acted up at school." Leia's voice could be heard.

"You could take him with you to work this week? Or stay home with him?" Han's muffled voice suggested.

"Stay home?" Her voice rose. "Babysitting Ben is not going to help with his behavioral problems! You need to be harder on him."

Han mumbled something that young Ben couldn't make out. "How about he goes and trains with Luke? It can help with that, right?"

"For once, you have a good idea. Ben can go off to Luke, to prevent him from becoming the monster my father was."

Young Ben gulped and backed away from the door, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

Ben watched as he entered his early teen years and trained with his uncle. Snoke was calling to him, a lonely little boy that just wanted to be loved by the parents who feared him.

Then he was sixteen, sleeping in his little hut, when he woke up to see his uncle Luke standing over him with his lightsaber drawn. Ben panicked and fled the Jedi camp for good, going to the only person that he thought wanted him, Snoke.

Ben watched as he underwent his training as a Knight of Ren and learned the ways of the Dark Side of the Force. He would carry out Snoke's orders, and be punished as part of his training to be forced into submission.

Ben Solo became Kylo Ren, a ruthless killing machine that didn't give a damn about anyone, and yet he was so lonely.

Then Ben was twenty-eight. He was in the forest on Takodana outside of Maz Kanata's cantina on a mission to capture the Resistance droid inside that held the map to Luke Skywalker.

A girl appeared in front of him.

The Scavenger from Jakku.

The girl that was the travelling companion of the droid wanted by the First Order.

She started to run deeper into the forest, but she wasn't fast enough. Kylo Ren had already frozen her in her tracks. He scanned her mind before he knocked her out and was carefully carrying her onto his ship.

Moments later he was gently putting her in the interrogation chair. Kylo sat and studied her with awestruck fascination as she slept.

For being a scavenger from filthy Jakku, Rey was beautiful, from her slightly pressed lips that sloped into a plump pout to the little piece of hair that curled and rested on her temple.

Ben was already going through what felt like torture as he watched himself make the mistakes that he'd regretted, but seeing Rey made him want her more than he'd ever had.

He tried to call out to her using their Force connection. _"Rey."_

Nothing.

Ben tried again. _"Rey!"_

There still wasn't anything.

_"REY!"_ He yelled so mentally hard that it gave him a headache.

_Perhaps the bond, the dyad, died with me._ He pondered with miserable longing.

Ben closed his eyes to try to escape, but he could still see himself as he took off his helmet and exposed his face to Rey for the first time.

He was to foolish to think that he could leave it all behind; his past wasn't going to leave him that easily.

Fat hot tears started to run down his cheeks. Ben craved Rey badly. He wanted, needed her to help him through his pain, to squeeze his hand and send calming thoughts through their connection.

But Ben didn't know where Rey was at the moment.

Ben watched as he and Rey discovered their Force bond. She was very angry with him from their last encounter, and he couldn't blame her. He had killed his father, something Snoke had convinced him that would make him stronger, when in fact it had only weakened him.

Which was why when Rey called him a monster, it got to him.

And no one got to Kylo Ren.

He flashed back to eavesdropping on his parents' fight, and felt ashamed of himself. For some reason that he did not know yet, Rey was someone he didn't want to disappoint.

As he watched the rest of his life unfold in front of him, Ben swore to himself that he was never going to let Rey go through what he was going through alone.

When she died, he would make it his personal job as her protector to ensure that he was there to meet her and be there for her to hold his hand when the memories got too hard to handle. He swore it on his former life, the life that got better because of Rey.

The screen faded to black and the lights flickered back on. Ben knew in an instant that he would be turned away to another planet. Qui-Gon turned to face him.

"Well, Solo, it seems like you had quite the journey. Your family will be glad to see you."

"My parents are here?"

"Not in this building, but they live in a house outside of the city. As do your grandparents and uncle." The restraints on the chair unlatched themselves.

Qui-Gon handed Ben two key cards and a bag. "Keys to your house. The bag has a few provisions to help you get up on your feet."

"You're letting me in?"

"Don't be so surprised. Sure, you had a rocky path, but in the end you redeemed yourself. Besides, I know your grandfather, and I can say on his behalf that he has done many worse deeds in the name of the Dark Side of the Force, and he has made himself comfortable in Al Sed Dur for quite some time now."

Ben took the bag as he stood up. "Thank you." He walked down the hall and opened the front door.

"Solo."

Qui-Gon had followed him. "Watching your life, I have seen how skilled you are with a lightsaber and with the Force. The Defenders are always looking for new members. It is a paying job and I hope you'll consider joining us." He stepped back into the hallway.

Ben made his way to his new home using the little map in his key. He couldn't remember the last time he had a living space as big as it, probably when he was a young boy in his former life, when his mother had been a senator for the New Republic and his father still a smuggler.

There was a big kitchen and two bedrooms, as well as a living room and a bathroom. Ben couldn't help but think of Rey, wondering where she had decided to go now that the war was over, and hoped that maybe someday they could share a space of their own.

The next day, after a very restless sleep, he decided to set out and do some shopping, as he had already ate the little food that Qui-Gon had given him.

Ben opened the closet of his new room and pulled out a dark colored tunic and a pair of black pants to go with a black belt and boots. He instinctively searched the room for his saber before realizing that he no longer had one.

For the first time in a little over a decade, Kylo Ren was unarmed, defenseless.

He made his way to the market with the pack that Qui-Gon had given him. Ben picked out some bread, fruits, and meat before walking over to the counter. A woman sat behind it, her green hued skin covered in dirt colored wrappings as her yellow eyes glinted boredly.

He placed the food in front of her. "That'll be thirty-five credits."

Ben dug into his pack and pulled out the money Qui-Gon had given him. "Here."

"That's not thirty-five credits, that's only twenty!" The woman hissed. "Are you trying to play me, young man?"

Ben held his hands up in defense. "No, no, I swear! I just got here yesterday, I'm new to this area."

"That is what they all say! If you cannot pay for your produce..."

A man with mousy brown hair stepped between Ben and the counter. "Hey hey hey! Leave him be, Bayan! How much does he owe you? I'll pay it."

Bayan glowered at the man. "Fifteen credits."

He dug into his pockets. "Here they are."

Ben grabbed his food. "Thank you." He turned to look at the man and nearly dropped his food.

His father was standing in front of him, though he was much younger than he remembered him, about in his early thirties. There was no doubt though that it was Han Solo though as he gave Ben his signature grin.

"Hey kid."

Ben gulped. "Dad."

"Your mom is going to want to see you. I'm guessing you don't have a vehicle or you could've paid for all of your food." Han grabbed Ben by his shirt sleeve. "Mine is up ahead."

They walked outside the market before Ben stopped him. "Dad, I don't think I can do this."

"Sure you can, kid." Han kept walking.

Ben strode faster and stepped in front of him. "I don't think you get it. I'm a disappointment. I let her down. I-"

Ben faltered as he looked into his father's eyes, just as he had the night he killed him. "I let you both down. I'm a monster, the monster the two of you feared I would be. You shouldn't want to be seeing me right now."

Han placed a hand on Ben's shoulder. "Even after everything Snoke made you do, you've never been a monster. You've always been our son. Our Ben. Come home with me. Come back to your mother. Please. She's missed you so much."

Ben studied his father's face before giving a small nod. Han gave him a big grin and a pat on the back as the two of them walked through the dirt to his shiny red landspeeder.

Ben hopped into the passenger seat. Han flipped a few switches and they were off. There were a few moments before Ben decided to break some of the ice. "When did Mom get here?"

"She got here yesterday, same as you."

"Hm. I think I would have sensed her departure into the Force. I wonder why I didn't."

"Probably because you were so preoccupied with the big battle that went down yesterday." Han gave him a smug side eye. "And Rey."

So they knew about the moment he had shared with Rey. Ben pursed his lips. That was it for small talk with his father.

It was not long before the landspeeder halted in front of a house not to different from Ben's. Han stopped in front of him right before the door. "I'll go ahead of you kid."

The door opened. Ben could hear his mother from the kitchen as she made her way to the living room. "Han. What took you so long?"

"I've brought a surprise for you."

Ben stood in the entryway as he waited. "Really? What kind of a surprise?"

"Follow me."

Footsteps sounded nearer and Ben felt the sudden urge to run. He grabbed at his chest and tried to steady his breathing.

Could he really be able to do this, after all he had done?

The noises stopped and Ben found himself facing Leia Organa. As she looked at him with surprise she seemed to age thirty years, before returning to her preferred age appearance of her mid twenties. Han put a hand on her shoulder for encouragement.

"Ben." Leia took a step closer.

"Mom." Ben breathed shakily.

Then in a swift movement, Leia ran to her son and pulled him into a warm embrace. Ben struggled to keep himself together and store away his emotions as his mother sobbed in his arms.

"It's all right, mom. It's all right. I'm here to stay. Your son is home."


	3. If It Weren't For Him

_Rey_

Celebration was happening all around Rey when she landed. All of the members of the Resistance around her were hugging and kissing as they congratulated one another on a victory well earned.

Rey swallowed her bitterness as BB-8 rolled towards her. "Good to see you, friend." She managed a sliver of a smile.

"REY!"

She looked up to see Finn and Poe pushing their way towards her.

A feeling of relief came over her. At least her two best friends had made it out of the fighting safely.

"Rey, we did it! We defeated the First Order!" Finn was the first to reach her.

Poe was right behind him. "Yeah we did! But we couldn't have done it without you!"

She pulled the both of them into a hug. "I'm so glad that you guys are alive."

Finn studied her. "Are you alright?"

Rey didn't feel like getting into her grief at the moment. "I'm fine. Where is Leia? I need to see her."

Poe grimaced. "No one told you?"

She shook her head.

"Leia died right after you left."

"Her body faded away into the Force while we were out fighting." Finn chimed in. "Rose told me. She was with her when it happened."

"Is there anything we can help with?"

Rey's gaze turned sad. "Not here and not now. I don't want to dampen the celebration with anything that I may be feeling."

The two of them looked like they were about to interrogate her some more, but were interrupted as other Resistance fighters came over to congratulate them.

Rey did her best to mask her sadness as the day went by, but by the time it came for the celebratory feast, she couldn't handle it much more.

Ben should have been here to celebrate with them. After all, the war wouldn't have been won without him.

She got her food before sneaking to her room. Thirty minutes later there was knocking on her door.

"Leave me alone. I just want to be by myself."

Finn came in anyway, followed by Poe. "What happened to you on Exogol?"

Rey channeled the Force to shut the door. "I don't think you'll understand me if I tell you. You both will probably just think I'm crazy."

Poe sat on the edge of her bed. "I've seen a lot of crazy things since I joined the Resistance, so I think I can believe you."

He paused. "Does it have anything to do with Kylo Ren?"

"Don't call him that!" She quickly spat out.

Rey hesitated.

"I always knew that there was some good left in Ben Solo, but he never fully embraced it until he chased after me on Exogol, going against his own Knights of Ren with only a blaster in his hand. I slipped Master Luke's lightsaber to him using the Force to help him finish them off."

A few tears slipped down her cheeks. "I would have been dead still if it weren't for him."

Finn craned his head forward. "Dead still? What do you mean by 'dead still'?"

A weird look came into his eyes, as if there was something he was keeping from them.

"I defeated Palpatine, but it took all my strength and the effort killed me. Ben transferred life to me, but he didn't have much life force left in him after fighting the Emperor. He died shortly after, a hero."

Finn shook his head in disbelief. "I can't see why you're so upset. He put us through so much, Kylo Ren. He was practically our enemy the entire war."

"Finn!" Poe raised his voice. "If you're going to be insensitive, go out. I mean it. Go out!"

After Finn left, he turned back to Rey. "You loved him, didn't you?"

"I, I don't know. It was too early to tell. Maybe if we had had more time, yes, I would have loved him. I did care about him though."

Poe wrapped her in a hug and Rey felt a deep sense of gratitude towards him.

Poe had endured severe mental torture at the gloved hands of Kylo Ren and had deserved every right to be rejoicing over his death, yet was here comforting her over what could have been her potential love.

"I'm so sorry Rey. You should get some rest now. Who knows,maybe tomorrow you can try to contact him through the Force?"

He stood up from her bed. "Uh, that's possible, right?"

Rey allowed herself to laugh. "Yes, it's possible. Thank you, Poe."

He grinned. "My pleasure."

After Poe left, Rey laid Ben's tunic on the bed next to her. As she closed her eyes and breathed in his scent that he had left, she almost believed that he was there with her.

The next morning, Rey felt the need to go away and give herself time alone. She packed her few things up, including Anakin and Leia's lightsabers, and left a note for Poe and Finn explaining her absence.

She was removing the tracker from the X-Wing when BB-8 found her.

The droid beeped.

"What am I doing?" Rey looked over her shoulder. "I'm leaving."

It beeped again.

"Why? Because I need a break to be alone and just breathe. The war's over. They don't need me here anymore."

Another beep.

"All of your droid friends are here. Why would you want to come with me?"

The droid beeped sadly.

"You're one of my best friend too and I would miss you terribly. Oh, alright, I guess you can come, but no complaining that you're bored!"

BB-8 whirred excitedly as Rey climbed into the cockpit. They took off and flew for some time before she realized that she didn't know exactly where she wanted to go yet.

"Hey, BB-8. Where should we go?"

It beeped.

"What's so special about Tatooine?"

It beeped smartly.

"Oh yes, you do have a point. Tatooine it is."


	4. Skywalker

_Rey_

Hours later, they touched down on the sandy planet.

Rey was about to put on her protective goggles that she used to wear when she was a Scavenger on Jakku, when she looked out her window.

BB-8 was already on the move.

"Hey, BB-8, wait up!" She chased after it, but the droid kept on going.

Rey continued to run after the droid until it stopped in front of what looked like was supposed to be an old house, but most of it was filled with sand due to abandonment.

She walked around the ruins. "BB-8, where have you taken me?"

It beeped at her as if it was something she should've known.

Rey closed her eyes and pressed her hand against one of the walls. The Force was strong here.

That's when it hit her.

She was standing in Master Luke's childhood home, where he had been raised by his late aunt and uncle before they were murdered by Stormtroopers.

There was a strong sense coming from her knapsack. Rey took it off her back and pulled out Anakin and Leia's lightsabers, as well as a parcel she had never seen before.

A note was attached to it. _To the last of our kind. Use it well. ~ The Skywalkers_.

Rey smiled to herself as she unwrapped the package and held in her hands a shiny new lightsaber. She pressed the button and a bright yellow blade emerged. She gave silent thanks.

Rey followed BB-8 out to the front of the house and buried the old lightsabers.

They started to walk back to the X-Wing when they were approached by an old woman.

"Excuse me Miss, but I've never seen you here before. Who are you?"

"I'm Rey."

"Rey who?"

She started to give the usual answer, that she didn't belong to any family, but felt a strong presence in the Force.

She turned to her left.

There was Master Luke. General Leia appeared next to him as he put an arm around her. Master Anakin popped up and rested a hand on his son's shoulder.

Ben came into view and Rey swore her heart did a triple flip.

Here was this family that had taken her in and loved her when she herself had no family to do so. 

They all gave her a sure smile, as if she should know that they knew who she was.

Rey peeled her eyes away from the ghosts and turned back to the old woman.

"Skywalker. My name is Rey Skywalker."


	5. I Don't Regret Anything

_Rey_

Rey returned with BB-8 to the X-Wing and flew to her home planet of Jakku.

They walked through the sand dunes towards the lone AT-AT Walker on the hill. Her old home was empty and waiting for her. The markings etched into the wall, the old Rebel pilots' helmets. All there.

Rey sat down on her musty makeshift bed as BB-8 rolled up to her feet. She didn't remember falling asleep until she woke up to a deep pain in her stomach and realized that she hadn't eaten since two days ago at the Victory Celebration Feast.

Rey opened her knapsack and pulled out some bread.

"What am I to do now, BB-8?" She said between mouthfuls.

"I could stay here and return to my Scavenger life style, but at the same time, I've grown since then. I'm no longer a scared little girl waiting for her parents to come back. I'm a Jedi now, the last of my kind."

It beeped.

"Of course you don't know. Droids never have to deal with a change of position."

Rey had an idea. She closed her eyes and muttered. "Be with me. Be with me."

Ben's force ghost appeared shimmering blue. "Rey."

She smiled softly. "Ben."

They stood staring at each other from across the room, his last moments replaying through Rey's head. Ben's dark eyes, though at peace now, had a tinge of sadness that seemed to capture the tension they were feeling.

He finally spoke, breaking the ice. "Where are you?"

"On Jakku, in my old home."

Ben clasped his hands behind his back. "Huh."

Rey bit her lip, wanting to keep their conversation going. "How are your parents?"

"Very happy to be together again. I don't live that far from them." Ben paused.

"I wish you could help me. I'm working with them on starting a relationship, and it's hard. I haven't even started with my uncle yet, though I know that one is going to take even longer to mend. I don't have the patience and grace that you do."

"Relationships will take time." She grinned. "I'm proud of you for trying."

A flicker of a smile appeared on his face for a short minute. "I sense some conflict in you. What's wrong?"

"I don't know, I guess I'm having trouble figuring out what to do with my life now that the war's over." Rey sighed as she sat back down on her old bed.

"I could go back to being a Scavenger here on Jakku, but so much has happened in my life in these past two years that I don't think it can go back to the way it was before. I could stay with my friends from the Resistance, but now that the fighting's over they don't really need me anymore. What should I do, Ben?"

He began to pace the room, thinking. His ghastly fingers traced the tick marks on the wall, yet not leaving a trace that he was there.

"Well, you could stay here on Jakku, but I agree with you. You've moved past being a Scavenger and needing to wait for your family, and you'd be alone again. You've gone through too much to end up all by yourself, to go back to where you started."

Ben swallowed as he took a seat next to her on the bed. "There's something else that I probably shouldn't tell you right now, but, it needs to be factored into your decision. That night when, I uh, transferred life to you, some of it attached to your uterus."

Rey frowned. "What are you saying?"

He took a nervous breath. "Rey, you're pregnant. With my child."

She stifled a gasp.

"How far along am I?"

"Only by a couple of days, which is why you shouldn't even know right now. And look," Ben sped up. "I never meant to impregnate you. I swear, I didn't even know that was possible until after it happened."  
  
Rey laughed at Ben's awkwardness. "It's alright, Ben. I believe you."

She stared sadly off into the distance. "I just wish that we could've used that life force for you."

"I didn't have that much left in me, Rey. All I cared about in that moment was you being alive. I don't regret anything."

"Well you didn't have to give me all of it! If you'd only given me half, then we could've at least had a few years together."

His Force warmth brushed her back as he tried to comfort her. "Hey, just because I'm not alive anymore doesn't we still can't be together. I may not be able to be around as much as I want to, but I'm always going to be there for you. And the baby."

Ben cleared his throat. "The reason that I told you so early on that you're pregnant is that since I can't be around all the time, I think you should go back to the Resistance headquarters so you can be near people, real physical people, that care about you and can help. And you're not entirely purposeless. You're the last of the Jedi, Rey. It is your job to teach the next generation the way of the Force. No Jedis or Sith, just Force users. Just try not to attempt to kill any of your students in their sleep." Ben smirked slightly.

"You really think I should go back?"

"I do. But the decision is yours to make."

BB-8 rolled into the room at the moment. "Come on BB-8. It's time to go back."

The droid whirred excitedly. Rey turned to Ben. "Will you walk with us to the X-Wing?"

A soft smile came across his face. "Of course."

They strode along silently until they reached the vehicle.

"Should I not tell anyone about the baby?"

Ben shook his head. "It's too early. Wait a month or two, or until you can go see a doctor to confirm it's existence."

Rey grinned up at him. "Thank you. For everything."

He smiled back. "My pleasure. If you ever need anything or want some company, don't hesitate to ask."

And with that, Ben Solo faded away.


	6. You Can Tell Me

_Rey_

Rey climbed into the cockpit and flew back to Endor. One look at all the trees and the green that surrounded her and she was in heaven.

Rey wondered what she had been thinking about preferring Jakku, a desolate hell hole, to Endor, a beautiful haven so full of life.

She got out of the X-Wing and took a few steps into the forest.

With a few sniffs and the closing of her eyes, Rey was transported back to Takodana outside of Maz's cantina, her first meeting with Kylo Ren to be precise. She remembered how full of fear she had been in that moment, that he was going to kill her like he'd done to so many before her.

Rey smiled at her own ignorance. If only she had known in that moment that the man she thought to be her enemy would be her savior, the father of her child.

Even now Rey was still surprised at the outcome.

BB-8 beeped, causing her to break out of her trance and open her eyes.

"Yes, I'm coming." She walked through the trees back to her room as BB-8 rolled off to find the other droids.

Rose Tico passed her in the hallway. Her shiny black hair was up in a messy bun and she was wearing her grubby cargo pants.

"Hey, Rey."

She backed up, her dark almond eyes lighting up with surprise. "Rey! We've been worried sick about you! Where have you been?"

Rey opened her mouth but Rose cut her off. "Finn and Poe are going to want to see you. I'll let them know that you're back."

Rey was unpacking the few belongings that she took with her when Poe and Finn stormed into her room.

She barely looked up. "Hey guys." Rey said casually, as if she hadn't left at all.

"Rey, you can't just go out and leave without telling anyone!" Finn glowered.

"I left you guys a note saying that I needed some time to myself."

"Well, you didn't state for how long." Poe crossed his arms.

"That's because I didn't know if I was going to come back or not."

Finn's scowl lessened. "Why wouldn't you have returned?"

"I didn't know if I had a purpose here now that we won the war. But, then I talked to Ben, and he didn't think that I should be alone again. I'm going to stay with the Resistance and train the next generation of Force sensitives."

Poe clapped his hands together. "That's perfect, Rey. I'm glad you were able to communicate with him. Did Ben say how his family is doing?"

"They're doing good. He said that they're very happy to be together again."

Finn pursed his lips as Poe shot him a warning look, as if they'd already privately discussed Rey's complicated relationship with Ben.

He smiled instead to try and cover it up. "It's great to have you back. I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

He glanced at the pilot. "Privately."

Poe muttered something as he left the room, closing the door.

Rey plopped down on her bed. "What can I help you with, Finn?"

Finn started to fidget with his hands. He was nervous about something, something that Rey sensed he had never told anyone before.

"You're scared. Why?" She looked into his brown eyes. "We're best friends, you can tell me anything."

He gulped, nodding his head slightly. "I, I've learned a lot about myself from joining the Resistance. A lot of things I never knew. When, when we had destroyed the First Order fleet and were back on the Falcon, I felt something, something strange."

Finn gave her a sad look. "I, I felt you, your life, disappear. It was only for five minutes, but it hurt. Badly. Then, I sensed you come back. When you told Poe and I about what happened, with you and Kylo Ren, it made me curious. Curious about what I sensed and what I felt. Does that sound strange to you?"

Rey gave him a small smile as she shook her head. "It sounds like you've discovered that you're Force sensitive, like me."

"I, I want to know how to control it. Do you think that you could help me?" Finn looked at her hopefully.

"I would gladly train you, Finn. You can be my first student." Her hazel eyes brightened at the thought.

"Really?" He grinned. "Thank you."

Rey stood up and hugged him. "Of course."


	7. We Meet At Last

_Ben_

The wind whipped through Ben's wavy dark hair as he drove his new black speeder bike through the cluster of houses.

The tires screeched to a halt as he pulled up in front of Han and Leia's home behind several other vehicles, the sun glinting off the hood.

Laughter could be heard from inside as he opened the door. His mother came to great him with a kiss on the cheek.

Leia smiled at him. It had taken some time, but Ben was starting to get used to her younger appearance.

"I'm so glad that you're here. There are some people that I want you to meet."

He followed her into the living room. A young man with large blue eyes and blonde hair that hugged the back of his neck was sitting on the couch, no doubt his uncle Luke.

They locked eyes. The man's form flickered to be thirty years older, confirming his suspicions.

Luke stood up.

Ben gulped, the familiar feeling of anger crept into his gut. How he wished Rey were here, to be his stabilizer.

"Nephew."

"Uncle."

"I thought I heard of your coming."

"You heard correctly." Ben added a hint of sarcasm to his voice.

If his mother wasn't behind him, he might have been tempted to throw a punch.He felt a small tug on his sleeve.

"Come, Ben, I want to introduce you to some people."

Ben followed Leia into the kitchen, where his father was chatting with a very beautiful woman who had eyes like his mother.

Han patted him on the back before ruffling his hair. "Hey, kid."

Leia was beaming next to him. "Ben, I'd like you to meet my mother, Padmè, your grandmother."

The woman smiled at him, her smile looking like his uncle's. "Very nice to meet you, Ben. I've heard a lot about you."

Ben paled at the idea of what Padme might have been told, when he heard a man's voice coming from the hallway.

"I didn't miss anything, did I?"

Padmè turned her head full of dark hair to where the voice was coming from as the man's shadow appeared in the doorway. "Not a lot, Ani, but your grandson is here."

Panic flared into Ben's chest. A man with shoulder-length wavy brown hair and big blue eyes with a nasty scar running over one of them appeared.

The corners of his mouth twitched. "Benjamin Solo. We meet at last."

"Grandfather."

Ben took a few steps closer until the two men were a few feet away. He had always pictured Anakin Skywalker as a tall, towering figure, but was surprised to find that he stood three inches taller than him.

"I tried to call out to you, to warn you that Palpatine was using you, as both Snoke and himself, but he had your mind in too strong of a hold, one you could only get out of yourself."

Ben looked at his feet, suddenly unable to look Anakin in the eyes. "I, I thought I was making you proud, finishing what you started. I was a fool."

"Hey." Anakin's voice was sharp, drawing Ben's eyes back up to his face.

"You have made me proud. You have finished what I started, though very different from what you thought. When I was a young Jedi, I had a dream that my wife was dying. It scared me, and fueled me to find anyway I could to be able to save Padme from death. That was my downfall, what turned me to the Dark Side. Funny though, that was what redeemed you. You were able to save the woman you loved from death, the thing that I failed to do."

A slight smile escaped Ben's lips as he looked at his grandfather in awe.

Anakin gestured to the food on the table. "You must be hungry. Go get some food."

He patted him on the shoulder before going off to join Luke in the living room.

Ben made himself a sandwich before joining the rest of his family. On the couch, Leia was resting her head on Han's chest while Anakin was playing with a curly piece of Padme's hair. Luke sat uncomfortably between the two couples.

Ben smirked as he made himself at home on the floor near his father's feet.

He took a large bite of his sandwich as his uncle began to speak. "So, nephew, how is my former apprentice getting along?"

"If you're referring to Rey, she's doing just fine. She's with the Resistance still and is starting to train some Force sensitives."

Leia smiled. "I'm so glad that she's realized her calling. Do you visit her often?"

"I try to. When the baby comes, I know I'll be there a lot, though."

Everyone froze.

"The what?" Han whispered.

Ben chuckled to himself. "Oh, did I forget to mention? Rey's pregnant with my child."

The whole room erupted.

Han was grinning from ear to ear. Anakin pulled him up off the floor to shake his hand, soon to be pushed out of the way by a crying Leia. Padmè was the only one sitting on the couch, laughing at how everyone was reacting.

Luke was on his feet, shouting "I knew there was something going on when I found you with her on Ach To!"

Ben felt his face grow hot. "Nothing happened on Ach To!" His lips formed into a slight pout. "We only touched hands."

"Only touched hands." Luke laughed. "When else did you have time to get it on? When you were supposed to be plotting against the Resistance?"

"We never 'got it on'." Ben glared daggers at him. "Some of my life force entered her uterus when I saved her life."

Luke appeared to be taken aback. "Oh."

His attention was drawn back to Leia, who was still sobbing and clutching his chest tightly.

"It's okay, Mom. You're going to be a grandma."

At this, she started to cry even harder. Ben looked at Han, asking for help, but was only met with a confused shrug.

When Leia was finally able to compose herself, she asked him, "How far along is she?"

"It's hard to tell time here, but I think she's a little over a month."

 _"A little over a month?"_ She socked him in the arm. "She is over a month pregnant, and you never thought to mention that to us until _now?"_

Ben rubbed his bicep. "It's not that I never thought about it. Rey just finally gave me permission to tell you guys. She hasn't even told any of her friends with the Resistance."

"Not even Finn?"

Ben allowed himself to laugh. _"Especially_ not Finn. He would flip out if he knew. Rey probably won't tell any of them until she can't hide it anymore."

They all sat back down.

"Do you think Rey will be able to take care of a child on her own?" Padmè asked.

"Rey is used to doing things on her own. She's one of the strongest people I know." He tried not to get emotional.

"I promised her that I was going to be around for the two of them as much as I could, that I was going to be present in it's upbringing. We both agreed that we wanted our kid to know who I am and to have memories of me. Rey especially wants it to have memories of us together, as a family. We don't-" Ben stopped abruptly, biting his lip.

"Go ahead, Ben." Han's voice was quiet.

Leia's gaze matched her husband's; it was filled with shame. "If we're going to heal, as a family, you shouldn't hold anything back. Get it all off your chest."

He nodded and took a deep breath, staring at the floor.

"We don't want our child to grow up like we did, feeling alone. Rey's situation was more obvious, as she was _literally abandoned_ by her parents; but for me, I still wonder how I could be surrounded by so many people, yet feel so _isolated._ I want to spend time with my son or daughter, to let it know it is loved by it's father."

Ben's voice started to shake. "Because if anything could prevent my child from becoming like me, to prevent it from making the mistakes I made, it would be that."

"You didn't think we loved you?"

Leia was crestfallen.

Ben couldn't look at her.

"You guys were always arguing over whose turn it was to watch me, and when I started acting up to get your attention, the only solution was to send me away. To him."

Ben scowled at Luke as he turned to face him.

"How is it that you were able to see the good in a man that had killed your mentor in front of you and cut off your own hand, but not in your sixteen year old nephew that needed you, so desperately? Snoke was calling to me and I _needed_ you to help me hold on, but you cut me off as soon you sensed the darkness."

Tension filled the room as five pairs of eyes stared up at him.

They were all speechless, until Han finally spoke.

"We should've let you know we loved you. We always have. I'm sorry son."

He embraced him in a hug, something that was new to Ben, as his father had never been a hugger.

Leia, not wanting to be left out, joined in. "I'm sorry too." She murmured.

Once they broke away, Luke came forward. "I want to apologize, Ben. I know it will be awhile, but I hope someday you'll be able to forgive me."

He extended a sun-tanned hand.

Hesitantly, Ben shook it.

Hope began to bud in his chest. Maybe his family would be able to heal from their mistakes altogether after all.


	8. A Family To Call Her Own

_Rey_

"We're going to start with the basics, Finn."

Rey was sitting cross-legged on the grass in a small clearing in the forest. "I want you to close your eyes."

Finn, who was sitting in the same position several feet across from her, did as she asked. Rey smiled.

"Good. Now I want you to take a deep breath, and try to tune your body to the environment. Feel your surroundings, feel the Force flowing around us."

She watched as Finn's face contorted with frustration.

"I can't feel anything!"

"Don't worry, it takes some practice. That's why we're only working on that today."

He tried again for another thirty minutes, only to be met with the same outcome.

"Damn it! Rey, I'm never going to be able to do this!"

"You've got this, Finn, I believe in you. It's just going to take some time. Let's take a break from today and try again some other time."

They got up and he pulled her into a hug. "Thanks Rey. Hopefully I'll get it soon."

Rey grinned. "I know you will."

She made her way back home.

Two months had passed since she had returned to Endor after her conversation with Ben.

Rey had moved out of her room in the Resistance base and had been issued a small home with two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a small living room space.

She chugged some water from her cantine and stretched out on the sofa. Being two months pregnant, Rey found herself tiring easily.

She closed her eyes. "Be with me."

Ben Solo came into view.

Rey smiled at him. "Ben."

"Rey." He sounded concerned. "You look tired."

"Well aren't you quite the smart one." Annoyance crept into her voice.

Ben smirked.

"I worked with Finn today for an hour and a half."

"And how was that?" He sat down in a chair across from her.

"It was- it was alright. Not too bad for his first lesson. He just hasn't quite achieved the level of patience that you and I have with the Force, to put it lightly."

Ben chuckled. "He'll learn. He's got the best teacher to teach him."

Rey stared into his dark eyes.

She'd almost forgotten how easily it was for her to get lost in them, to be overcome with the need to drown herself in them. It was a miracle that she'd never caved, never gave in to them while he was alive.

She broke her gaze. "How was your day?"

"Not too bad." He scratched the back of his head. "I had my first day too."

"You did?" Rey sat up. "What is it you're doing?"

"Do you remember what I said to you about the Defenders of Peace?"

"The organization that protects the planet that you're on, the one that offered you the job after you showed up?"

"That's the one." Ben slightly smiled. "I accepted and am going to be in the scouting division or wherever they need me."

Rey grinned at him. "That's great! I'm glad you've found some way to spend your time. I have a question for you."

"Ask away."

"Do you know how long I'm going to live?"

Ben's forehead scrunched the way it did when he was thinking. Rey found it adorable to watch.

"I can't say I know for sure, but I'd say that you'll probably live for as long as my life force that I gave you, which could range from five months to forty years. That's as much as I know."

His eyes went to her stomach. "How is the baby doing?"

"Oh, you just reminded me! I went to see a doctor yesterday."

"And?" Ben studied her anxiously.

"It's there, alright, a healthy baby. Two months down, seven more to go."

He seemed to brighten, his whole face lighting up. "And what about you? Are you feeling all right?"

Rey looked at him sweetly. "I'm healthy as well, though I do notice that I tire much easier."

"Well make sure you allow yourself to rest. You're going to need lots of it."

"I will." She smiled at him.

"Ben, do you think that you'd be able to sense the baby through the Force, to connect with it?"

"I don't know, but I could try."

Ben stood up from the seat. "May I?"

Rey nodded, getting up from the sofa. He walked over, stopping just in front of her. His Force ghost kneeled, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning his head to rest on her stomach, slightly upturned so that she could see his face. Ben's Force aura brushed against her body, though Rey wished that she could actually feel him.

He closed his eyes in an attempt to focus. A few minutes later, the corners of his mouth spread into a wide grin, a look she had only seen after he'd finally kissed her; Ben must have been successful.

He started to speak in hushed tones, a sort of murmur. "Hello there."

Ben's smile remained on his face, his voice capturing his joy at being able to connect with his unborn child.

"This is your father, this is your daddy speaking."

Rey's eyes welled up with tears as she watched Ben try to fight off some of his own, though his lips failed to suppress quivers and his voice couldn't help but shake a little.

"I'm not going to be around as much I'd like to be, but _I love you."_ His voice broke.

"I love you so much. Just be easy on your mother, okay? She's an angel that doesn't need another incompetent person to put up with."

Rey laughed as she wiped the stray tears that were running down her cheeks.

A thought struck her while she continued to listen to Ben talking to the baby.

Ever since she'd been abandoned on Jakku, she'd always wanted a family to call her own. And yet, though the circumstances were unusual, Rey was finally getting one.


	9. Beautiful Accident

_Rey_

"Nothing's big enough anymore!" Rey growled in frustration, glaring at herself in the mirror. This was the seventh outfit she had put on this morning that was too form fitting to hide her ever growing baby bump.

Rey sighed as she sat down on her bed. At five months along, she knew that she couldn't go hiding her pregnancy forever, though each day she'd hoped the secrecy could stretch longer.

It wasn't that Rey didn't want her friends to know, she was just nervous about how they were going to take it.

How _would_ they react?

Sometimes she'd make her mind go crazy with worry as she'd wrack up scenario after scenario of them screaming and getting angry at her, yelling at her for betraying them by having a child with the man who used to be the most feared in the galaxy.

It was one of the reasons she decided not to be part of the Reconstruction of the New Republic.

Rey did not want to be a leader associated with Kylo Ren's former power, the power that he had ended up pushing away for her.

Rey had voiced her worries and concern to Ben, who always responded and consoled her the same way.

"Everything will be just fine, you'll see. Your friends love you, and if they don't love you anymore because of this, then I guess they weren't ever really your friends."

Then he would smile slightly and say, "Just know, no matter what, you'll always have me."

That always seemed to make her blush, something Ben thoroughly enjoyed watching.

Now, the moment had come, the moment for her to reveal her not-so-little secret.

Rey put on her usual wraps and walked out of the house. She feigned an air of confidence to cover her anxiety, giving a small nod and smile to those she passed.

She found Finn, Poe, Rose, and Jannah eating breakfast at a table outside. Zorii Bliss, a rogue, and Poe's girlfriend, was visiting Endor and was also present.

"Finn!" Jannah exclaimed. "What is that on your eggs?"

"It looks like some sort of white paste." Rose inspected.

"It's mayonnaise." Finn deadpanned.

The whole group recoiled in disgust.

"Didn't they teach you Stormtroopers etiquette in the First Order?" Poe gagged.

"What do you think, _Spice Runner?"_ He shot back.

"Hey guys." Rey nervously walked up to the group.

"Rey!" Finn, eager to change the subject, got up to greet her.

He narrowed his eyes.

"You look different, like you gained some weight overnight. Did you eat a small planet or something?"

He looked to the group, expecting a bit of a laugh at his joke, but was only met with the shaking of heads.

All eyes were on Rey, her protruding stomach to be exact.

She took a deep breath. "Guys, as you can see, there's something I need to tell you guys about. Do you remember what I told you all about how Palpatine was defeated?"

Poe nodded, giving her assurance to continue.

"Well, I didn't share everything that happened that night. When I died on Exogol, Ben transferred his life force to me, saving my life and losing his. What we didn't realize though, was that some of his life force attached to my uterus."

Rey gave a shaky laugh. "So, I'm pregnant."

Everyone at the table was silent, until Rose started giggling and got up from the table to give her a hug.

"Oh, Rey!" She squealed.

A grinning Poe joined them as well as Jannah, both offering her their congratulations.

"Hold on guys!" Zorii came up.

Her face may have been hidden by her gold mask, but there was a hint of excitement in her voice. "Be careful! You don't want to squeeze her too hard."

She extended her hand. "Congratulations, Rey. You're going to make an excellent mother."

Rey grinned as she shook it. She was so overwhelmed with the love and support being poured out to her that she hadn't realized that Finn still hung back, observing her.

Due to the news of the day, Rey was allowed to go home early.

She had just finished eating her dinner and was retreating off to bed, when she heard a knock at the door.

Baffled at the thought of having visitors, and one this late in the evening, Rey opened it.

Finn stormed in, fuming. "I can't believe you, Rey."

"Nice to see you too, Finn." She grunted. "Why brings you here?"

He ignored her.

"I can't believe that you pushed aside everything the Resistance, the New Republic _stands_ for, to get involved with that _monster_!"

Rey huffed.

So everything _hadn't_ gone better than she'd hoped.

"Don't you _dare_ call Ben Solo a monster!" She spat.

"Finn, did you even _listen_ to a word I said this morning? I told you all what happened, that Ben was merely trying to save my life. We never intended for this to happen, though I'd say it's a rather beautiful accident." Rey smiled at her stomach.

Finn shook his head. "And it never occurred to you that this could be his final evil act? To trick your body into carrying his monster spawn so that his work will carry on?"

She stifled a gasp.

"That's how you think of my child? As some evil creature?"

He looked away, noting the hurt in her voice.

"You do realize that I make up the other half of it?"

"Look, Rey, I'm sorry but-"

"You're _sorry_? Finn, _why_? _Why_ are you fighting this? Why is everyone else but you, my closest friend, being so supportive? What makes you more bothered about this than the rest of them?"

"Because I always thought you'd have kids with me!" Finn shouted.

Rey looked at him wide eyed.

He lowered his voice. "For some reason, no matter what's happened, I'd always envisioned us ending up together."

"So, you're mad at me because I didn't check with you before I started to have feelings for Ben?" She articulated each word slowly, her body starting to shake with rage.

"I can't _believe_ that you'd even _think_ that I would just be sitting around, waiting for you to become available! You are _so_ lucky that I'm not going to tell Rose about this. She would leave your sorry ass alone like you deserve to be and find someone worthy of her attention!"

Finn stormed out, Rey following him to slam the door behind him.

Overcome with emotion, she slumped against the door, heartbroken, and began to sob.

What was to become of their friendship?

No doubt their training was over, but Rey didn't care about that.

When she was thrown into the mess of the fight of the Resistance against the First Order, Finn was right there with her through all of it.

Sure, when things started to get complicated with Ben, Rey became more closed off to him, but she knew that no matter what she could always go to Finn.

Now, Rey didn't know what to think.

She had a suspicion when she first met him that he had developed a slight crush on her, but she had never thought of how much of it that he would hold on to, never thought it could be the death of their friendship.

Rey drew her knees to her forehead as best as she could and wept some more.

A small humming noise filled the room. Without knowing it, she had called out to Ben.

"Rey?" He scanned the room.

"Rey, where are y-."

His eyes fell on her small form hunched over in front of the door.

"Oh."

Ben walked over and sat down beside her. He used the Force to grab a tissue.

Rey looked up and plucked it from his translucent hand, dabbing at the wetness on her face. "Thank you, Ben." She said quietly.

"Rey." Ben's voice was gentle. "Why are you upset?"

She calmed herself down before speaking, and when she did speak, she didn't hold anything back.

Though she choked up a few times, Rey told him everything that had happened, from not being able to hide her shape anymore, to Finn bitterly storming out of her home.

"He _said_ that to you?"

Ben's black eyes glittered dangerously, reminding her for a second of the rage he would accumulate as Kylo Ren.

" _Finn_ ," He spat. "Is _so_ lucky that I don't have my physical body and strength right now. But that doesn't mean that I can't Force choke the life out of him."

He smiled cruelly.

"Ben, I appreciate the offer, but I don't need you to hurt him for me."

"Fine, but you say the word and I'll do it. I don't want him talk to you or our child like that _ever again."_

"I have a feeling that he's never going to talk to me _at all."_

Rey looked at Ben, tears springing into her hazel eyes once again. "I may have just lost my best friend."

"Hey."

All anger was stripped of Ben's tone, becoming calm and soothing once more. "It may take some time, but Finn will come around soon enough. He'd be a fool if he didn't."

Ben's Force warmth surrounded Rey as she cried once more, his attempt at holding and comforting her.

Once again, she couldn't help but wish she could feel his physicality, the toned physique of his strong arms, though this satisfied her for now.

A thought nagged the back of her mind.

_How much longer would it be before this wasn't enough for her anymore?_


	10. Reminder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey readers! Just a clarification, if you haven't picked this up already, time does not flow consecutively in this story. Sometimes a few months or weeks will pass, sometimes a few years due to the nature of the story. Happy reading and stay healthy!

_Rey_

"So you're telling me that you haven't thought of _any_ names?"

Ben's shimmering blue Force ghost was leaning against the couch.

Rey shook her head sheepishly.

"Aren't you about nine months along now?"

She was lying down across from him. "Yes, Ben, but I was waiting for you to do it with me."

Rey thought for a moment. "How about, if it's a girl we name her Leia, and if it's a boy we name him Benjamin?"

Ben shook his head. "I like the idea of naming our daughter after my mother, but having a son named after me?"

His black curly locks spun around his face. "I don't deserve such an honor."

"If we have a son, I'd like for him to be named after you, after his father, even if it were just his middle name. Do you know why?"

He studied her. "Why, Rey?"

 _"Because,"_ Rey smiled at Ben. "He'd be my reminder that I still have a part of you here with me."

Ben gazed at her softly, his lips slightly curving.

"Oh alright, I'll allow it to be his middle name. But if we have a girl, I want her to be named after her mother." His dark eyes brightened. "Leia Rey Solo."

Rey's face lit up. "I like that! Now for a boy's name?"

He thought for a moment. "What about Zander?"

Her grin deepened. "Zander Benjamin Solo. That's perfect."

A hard pain spiked through her lower back. She grimaced.

Ben scooched closer to her, concerned. "Rey! Are you feeling okay?"

Rey nodded as she sat up. "I'm fine, Ben. The baby just kicked me rather hard. It's been doing that a lot today."

She started to stand up, when she found her pants to be soaked through.

Rey turned to look at Ben, the two of them wide eyed.

"Did, did your water just break?" He stammered.

"I think so." She tried not to allow her voice to shake, though it came out a pitch higher.

"Stay here while I go change my pants, and then we'll go to the med bay."

He watched her nervously as she left the room, returning a few minutes later with a full bag for the med bay.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

Rey doubled over in pain.

"Rey!" Ben rushed to her, trying to use the Force to support some of her weight.

"Hold on, I know someone who can help." He closed his eyes in concentration.

Leia's blue Force ghost appeared, looking the same as she had the last time Rey had seen her.

"Rey. Ben."

"Mom, we need your help." Ben panted. "Rey's in labor. Can you help me get her to the med bay, or to someone who can?"

"I'm on it." She winked at Rey as she used the Force to support her on the other side.

"How's your pain level?"

"It seems to hurt more every two minutes." Rey's face scrunched up a bit.

"Hold your arms out on both sides as if we're fully here to support you. Take some deep breaths. You're doing just fine, kiddo."

Rey allowed the mother and son to help her move out of the house, though she seemed to hurt more with every step she took.

She let out a moan.

"Don't worry Rey, we've got you." Ben assured her.

One look at his face and it was clear how badly he wished he could just pick her up, that he could spare her even more pain from walking.

"We're almost there."

A petite woman with a black messy bun passed them.

Rey stopped abruptly.

"Rose!"She called.

The woman turned. "Rey! What are you-"

Her eyes widened. "Oh my god, you're in labor! Hold on, Rey. Let me go get Chewie to carry you to the med bay."

Rose left and returned barely a minute later with the wookie. He let out a string of noises before gently taking Rey in his arms, Ben and Leia following closely behind.

They made their way to the med bay. "This woman is in labor!" Rose practically screamed at the droid at the front desk before they were shown a room.

Chewie laid Rey down on the bed before leaving the room with Rose. She tried to calm her breathing as Ben kneeled down next to her.

"Hey."

He tried to give her a comforting look, though Rey could see deep in his dark eyes that he was almost as terrified as she was.

Almost.

"You are _so strong_. There's nothing, _nothing_ , that you can't handle. Just remember that."

Rey gave him a small smile as she propped herself up.

Leia stood near the window. "It could be a while before the baby comes. Most labors take several hours, sometimes even a couple days."

"Hours? Days?" Rey let out a sigh. "I don't think I could go for that long."

"Yes, you _can_ , Rey." Ben placed a translucent hand on top of one of her's, creating a bit of warmth.

"Whatever you do, you _conquer_. You'll _conquer_ this too."

"Think of the child, Rey." Leia chimed in. "In the end, all of this pain will have been worth it."

Rose came back into the room, followed by a blonde doctor and a med droid. "Rey, this is Dr. Lars. She's going to help us."

Dr. Lars pulled on some gloves. "Let's see how far you're dilated, Rey."

Rose went on the other side of Rey's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"This is probably one of the worst physical pains I've ever experienced." Rey grunted. "But I'm more comfortable now."

"I can't believe you walked so far! And all by yourself?" She raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Oh, I'm not alone." Rey managed a small smile.

Dr. Lars stood up. "You're at a seven right now."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you have a little while before you can start to push."

Another contraction came. Rey gripped the sides of the bed.

"Deep breaths!" Leia called out.

Rey followed her instructions. "Are you sure that the baby isn't ready _now_?" Her teeth gritted.

Dr. Lars shook her head. "That got you to an eight, but you're still not quite there yet."

Tears started to build up in Rey's large hazel eyes. She tried not to let herself feel frustrated, but it was hard not to.

"Rey."

She turned to see Ben still next to her, though a little closer to the bed. His Force ghost was a paler shade than usual, his hands fidgety and his dark eyes looking as fragile as pieces of cracked glass.

Rey could see that the situation was _killing_ him, that he so desperately wished that he was physically there to help her get through this pain.

She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against where his would be. A warmth covered her, and as badly as Rey wanted Ben to be solid, his presence was more than enough to fuel her strength and give her some peace.

"You're all the way." Dr. Lars exclaimed, breaking their transe. "Ready to start pushing?"

Rey's expression became fearful as she gave the doctor a small nod. She looked to Ben.

His lips twitched a bit. "I'm here for you. Always. You've got this."

Rey clamped both hands on either side of the bed railings. She took a deep breath, and gave her first push.

Her body contorted in pain as she held back a scream.

"Good, Rey." Rose squeezed her hand.

"You're doing very well." Leia offered her encouragement.

Dr. Lars looked up. "Let's try another one."

Rey wanted to protest, that she'd already dealt with more than she could handle, but knew it wasn't that easy.

Ben slid a translucent arm behind her, giving her some more strength.

Rey pushed again.

She felt as if she were on fire, as if she were being ripped apart from the inside.

"Yes, Rey!" The doctor praised. "One more! I'm starting to see the head."

She looked to Ben, who gave her a small smile. "We're so close."

In the midst of all the agony, Rey felt a spark of excitement. Their child was going to be here any minute.

She gave one final push, howling as she put everything she could into it.

A cry that was not Rey's own pierced the room.

Cheers came from Rose and Leia on the other side as Dr. Lars exclaimed "It's here!"

Rey sunk back into the bed, exhausted, as she leaned her head in to where Ben's neck would be.

"You did it." He smiled down at her. "I am _beyond_ proud of you."

A warmth tickled her forehead, making her realize that this was the first time Ben had tried to kiss her since he had died almost a year ago.

Rey stared at him, a hint of sadness blossoming in her core.

"It's a boy!" Rose called excitedly.

A huge grin spread across her face as she waited for Dr. Lars to finish cleaning up her son.

Rose was beaming as she handed her the baby. "Congratulations, Rey."

Rey studied her son. He had mounds of black hair, just like his father, with long eyelashes and plump pink cheeks. He was so tiny in her arms.

"He has your eyes." Ben was smiling softly. "And your cute little nose."

"But he has your mouth and your face shape. Not to mention all that hair. " Rey let out a small laugh.

They locked eyes.

Ben's dark ones held a bittersweetness, almost to the point of tears, allowing Rey to look inside his soul.

She noticed something.

It wasn't until now that the baby was here that Ben had realized how much he was going to be absent from his life, how much Rey was going to have to do without him.

He wanted to be with his little family in the flesh _so badly_. He yearned for days of when they could all be together.

Yet, Ben knew. He knew that he would have to wait a long time for that.

Rey's vision blurred as she finally allowed herself to sob as his emotions weighed down on her heart.

She looked back at their child, their child that looked so much like Ben.

"What's his name, Rey?"

She had almost forgotten that Rose was still in the room until she had handed her a tissue.

A smile played on her lips. "His name is Zander. Zander Benjamin Solo."

Rey tilted her head towards Ben, her grin deepening. A tear escaped one of his black eyes, trickling down his cheek.

"After his father."

Leia smiled as she made her way over. "He really does-"

"He looks a lot like Ben." Rose cut her off.

Leia pursed her lips. The disadvantage of no one being able to see or hear you.

Rey chuckled. "I think so too."

A med droid opened the door. "Miss Skywalker, you have some visitors here to see you."

"Let them in."

A few minutes later, Poe and Jannah entered the room. "Hey Rey!"

Rey grinned. "Hi guys. Would you like to come meet my son?"

She handed Zander to Rose, who gently placed him in Poe's arms. Ben watched with a jealous envy.

He turned to Rey when all attention was on their baby. "We should probably be going now. Is there anything you need?"

She shook her head. "No."

Ben got up to leave.

"Ben." Rey called softly.

He turned.

"Thank you. For all your help. And for not leaving me alone."

Her voice caught a bit as she drifted her gaze to Zander in Poe's arms.

Ben swallowed as he nodded.

"I'll see the both of you soon enough." He smiled sadly.

Rey watched as he and Leia faded away. Though a part of her heart always left with Ben, this time she felt as if she had a piece of him still with her.


	11. Family Man

_Ben- A few months later..._

"Another easy day."

A man with strawberry blonde hair was swinging his arms as he strolled through the parking garage of the eastern headquarters of the Defenders of Peace.

A Toqruta female beside him sighed. "A little too peaceful if you ask me, Kenobi. Sometimes I wish we had a little more action around here."

Obi Wan Kenobi rolled his blue eyes. "Agree to disagree."

He bit his lip before changing the subject. "Got any plans tonight, Tano?"

"I might stop by the cantina for a drink." Ahsoka Tano squinted her large green eyes in contemplation. "Want to join?"

"Why not?" He shrugged. "I've got nothing else going on."

"What about you, Solo?" She turned to the tall handsome man on her left.

"Want to get a drink with us?"

Ben shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm busy tonight. I'm going to go visit my son."

 _"That's_ _right."_ Tano grinned slyly. "I almost forgot that you're a family man now, with a wife and kid. How old is he?"

"He's a couple months old, and his mother and I aren't married."

He scratched his dark head, looking away sheepishly. "It's- it's complicated."

There was an awkward silence before Kenobi decided to clear the air. "Well, I'm going to head out now. See you in a bit, Tano."

The three of them parted ways.

Ben hopped on his black speeder bike with an excited energy. He always looked forward to seeing his little family and hearing about their everyday lives, what was new and what was the same.

Ben pulled into his garage before making his way to his room. He threw off his beige uniform jacket and grabbed a pair of black pants to go with his black t-shirt.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Ben closed his eyes, and focused on the Force flowing through him.

He pinpointed Rey's Force aura, and allowed himself to go to her.

When he opened his dark eyes, he found himself in Rey's empty living room.

Ben searched his surroundings for her, though it was not much longer when she stopped in the hallway, Zander's black fluffy head facing away from him.

A small smile escaped his lips as Rey's face lit up.

They stood there for a while, just staring at each other. Rey's brown hair was slightly disheveled and there were little bags under her large hazel eyes, but Ben couldn't help but just wish that he were solid so that he could kiss her, claim her full lips with his.

"Zander just woke up from his nap, but he should perk up soon."

Rey walked over to the sofa and sat down. Ben followed.

"Have you been getting any better sleep?"

"What do you think I was doing during his nap?" She laughed, making him smile a bit bigger.

"He's only waking up once every night to be fed, so it's not too bad."

Ben scooched closer to Rey, putting a translucent arm around her.

She turned their son so that he was facing him.

Zander was about four months old now, his newborn pink skin replaced by the start of baby fat. He leaned his head of thick, fuzzy dark hair against his mother's chest.

"Hey buddy." Ben cooed, lowering his head to gently kiss Zander's cheek. "You're getting so big."

"He is!" Rey grinned, giving Zander a little squeeze.

The baby let out a little squeal, making both of his parents laugh.

"Have you gone back to teaching yet?" Ben leaned into her a bit.

"Soon." She rested her head against the sofa where his arm would be. "I'm finishing up a carrier so that I can have Zander on my back with me. I only have one student right now, one of the technician's daughters, since-"

Rey trailed off, her eyes growing distant.

"He still hasn't talked to you?"

"Not since eight months ago."

Ben scoffed. "He's just being stubborn. Don't let him bait you into making the first move. You didn't do anything wrong."

Rey nodded, though tears threatened to come into her eyes. "I know, but at times I can't help but feel guilty, that I could've _done something_ -"

"Hey." His blue thumb traced her cheek, her Force warmth underneath it.

"Finn is an _idiot_ if he thinks he's better off without your friendship in his life. He'll come around soon enough, he's just taking longer than we expected."

Rey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You're right." She smoothed Zander's curly hair.

She did a double take, looking at the baby again.

_"Ben, look at Zander."_

"Huh?"

"Just _look_!"

His eyes traveled down to his son, only to find Zander's brown eyes staring back at him.

"What's so-" Ben pondered before it hit him.

"He can _see_ _me?"_

"I don't know, but let's see for sure." Rey's voice failed at containing her excitement. "Make him laugh or something."

"You want _me_ to make him _laugh_."

"I don't _know._ Try peek-a-boo or _something._ He usually laughs at that."

Ben grunted. Here was the former Supreme Leader of the First Order, someone who used to be the most feared in the galaxy, about to play peek-a-boo.

Rey smirked, the thought obviously on her mind too.

Ben crouched on the sofa, his large hands covering his eyes. "Where's Zander?"

Rey let out a small gasp. Zander must have responded to his name.

"There he is!" Ben uncovered his eyes and opened his mouth widely.

A huge grin spread across Zander's face as he erupted into a fit of giggles.

Ben let out a small laugh as he looked up at Rey, whose face was streaked with tears. She smiled at him weakly.

 _"Rey."_ He drew out her name. "Do you have _any idea_ what this _means?"_

"Zander can see you, which _means-"_ Rey sniffled. "He's going to grow up having memories of his father, and of us as a _family."_

Ben sat quietly for a moment, the joy apparent on his face. "Yes, but there's something else too."

"What?"

"Zander is Force sensitive."

Realization dawned on her face as she beamed. "Of course! I should've thought of that, with both of his parents being strong in the Force."

Rey grinned at Zander. "That means, when he's _older,_ we can train him. _Together."_

They locked eyes.

Ben's black ones drifted to her full lips before he started to close the gap between their faces. He almost forgot that he wasn't all physically there, his mind fixed only on how badly he wanted Rey.

A knock came from the front door, jerking the two of them out of their trance.

Rey bit her lip, looking away from him. "I better go get that."

She stood up, placed a pillow near the end of the couch, and nestled Zander so that he was sitting up. "Can you keep an eye on him?"

Ben nodded, his eyes following Rey as she headed to the door before turning his full attention to Zander, who was distracting himself with his tongue. Ben smiled as he watched his son with pure content.

"Finn!" Rey inhaled.

Ben tensed.

If his former trooper verbally abused his little family _again..._ It wouldn't. Not while he was here. He clenched his jaw at the thought.

"Hi, Rey. I was wondering if I can talk to you. Can I come in?"

"Well, Ben is here visiting Zander and I, but sure, you can come in for a little bit."

Ben's eyes went to the door where Finn was emerging from. He put his arm around Zander protectively as he and Rey exchanged looks.

Finn's gaze landed on the couch where the father and son were sitting as Rey started to lead him into her small kitchen.

Rey glanced to where he was looking. "Finn, you remember Ben, right? My _boyfriend?"_

Finn gave a short nod.

Ben felt immensely pleased with himself as a sly grin spread across his face. He knew she'd said that to get a dig at Finn, but for the first time in almost a year, Rey had _finally_ given him the title he'd been hoping to hear her say.

"And that's our son, Zander. I'm sure Rose has told you about him." Rey's tone was cold.

"Rey, I'm sorry for what I said to you all those months ago. I was just trying to be protective of you, though I should've known that you're very capable of doing that yourself." Finn swallowed.

"Rose and I are in a good place right now, so you won't have to worry about any such comments. I've just missed being your friend."

Rey pulled Finn into a hug. "I forgive you and have missed your friendship as well."

Ben felt a pang of jealousy as he watched the two of them. How he wished that he could hold Rey in his arms, give her the affection she deserved.

They were just going to have to wait.

Ben didn't know how long that would be, but he did know that Rey was worth it. He knew that the way he felt about her couldn't compare to how he'd ever felt about anyone before. She was _special,_ a one of a kind, his Rey of sunshine.

Ben could only hope that she harbored the same feelings for him as he did for her.


	12. Show Me

_Rey- Six years later..._

"Take a deep breath and close your eyes." Rey addressed her students that sat cross-legged on the grassy field in front of her.

Six years later, her number of pupils had grown from two to ten, making her much busier than before.

Rey walked around the group. "Feel the Force. Feel it flowing through the atmosphere, through this planet, through _you_."

She was met with a few grunts of frustration and a few sighs of relaxation.

A cheer broke the silence. "I felt it! Master Rey, I finally felt it!"

The twelve year old girl was met with a few glares as she muttered "Sorry."

Rey laughed. "Good job, Davi. How many of you feel like you've gotten this part down?"

Seven students raised their hands.

"Good! The rest of you will get it down _in no time._ When that happens, we'll move on to actually _using_ the Force."

Rey glanced at the little boy with curly dark hair that was playing not too far from her group.

"That's it for today's lesson. Keep practicing, and I'll see all of you soon."

The students left, stopping to say thanks. Rey smiled and nodded before calling the boy.

"Zander!"

Zander perked up before running to meet his mother.

At almost seven years old, Zander was starting to look more and more a miniature version of his father with each day.

His personality though, was very similar to his mother's.

"You're of the same heart" was how Ben liked to put it.

Zander greeted his mother with a hug. Rey knelt down, wrapping her arms around his small frame.

"Did you have fun?"

He shrugged. "I played with my ships.

 _Mom,"_ He drew out her title as he pleaded with his large brown eyes.

Zander may have been born with Ben's face, yet he had her facial expressions.

And the Skywalker need for dramatic flare.

"When can I _please_ _train with you?"_

 _"Zander."_ Rey's voice was gentle yet firm as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "We've _talked about this_.

I can't train you like I do my other students _because_ your f _ather and I_ want to do it _together."_

She tucked a piece of hair behind one of his ears. "Your time will come _soon enough."_

Zander hung his head in acceptance. "Okay."

Rey kissed him on the cheek. "I love you."

He grinned. "I love you too."

She stood up, taking her son's hand as they started to leave, yet stopped at the sight of someone in front of them.

Rey grinned. "Ben."

Zander's face lit up. "Dad!"

He let go of his mother's hand as he broke into a run.

Rey followed close behind.

As much as Zander loved her, he loved Ben _several_ times more. His father was his favorite person.

He was a constant topic in their house, as Zander would talk about him _non stop_ , bringing up what he was going to share with Ben the next time he visited.

Rey didn't mind though. She loved it that they were able to maintain such a close relationship despite the circumstances.

Ben's face brightened as Zander reached him.

Despite being able to look as young as he wanted, Ben had decided early on that he wanted to age with Rey.

"Wouldn't you feel weird if you were fifty years old and linked with someone who looked forever twenty-nine?" He had teased her.

"I'm only complementing the standards you've set." Ben had eyed her with a hint of lust, making Rey blush.

Yet, it was almost like a punch in the gut, seeing how good he would've looked at thirty-six.

It was a reminder of what could've been, how things _should_ have been.

Ben knelt down to meet Zander's eye level. "Hey, buddy." His lips curved. "I missed you."

Rey caught up to them. "Ben, what are you doing here?" Her tone was playful.

He looked up at her, dark eyes glinting. "Do I need an excuse to come visit my family?"

"I suppose not." She smirked.

They stared at each other.

Ben's dark hair was messy as usual, but in a way where it was almost perfect. His black eyes reflected longing, happiness, and some other feeling that she couldn't make out.

Was it possibly something close to love?

Rey didn't know.

 _"Dad."_ Zander's voice snapped them out of their trance.

"Can you _please_ tell Mom that _I'm ready_ to start training?" He pouted. "I can't wait _any longer."_

Ben laughed as he stood up. "Why have you been waiting?"

He looked to Rey as she rolled her eyes.

 _"Well."_ Zander placed his hands on his hips. _"Mom said_ that she wanted _you_ to help train me, but I don't know how you could do that since _you're just a ghost._ Plus, there's _no way_ that _anyone_ could be _better_ with a lightsaber _than Mom."_

Ben gaped at Zander as Rey smirked.

 _Clearly_ his pride had been _a little_ wounded by their son.

 _"First of all."_ Ben pointed a finger.

"Since I'm a _Force ghost now_ , I am _more intune_ to the Force than _anyone alive_ right now. _Second,_ " He began to pace.

"The _only reason_ your mother is _so good_ with a lightsaber is because she _had me as her opponent._ " He declared smugly.

"I _always won_ though."

Rey scoffed as Zander stared at his father with awe. "I don't recall you winning our last battle."

She jutted her chin up. "I believe that victory is _mine_."

Ben shrugged. " Because I _let you win_."

Rey narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms. "You call the fact that I _impaled you_ with your _own lightsaber letting_ me _win_?"

He eyed her cooly. "Yes."

"When I get to Al Sed Dur," Rey huffed. "You _better believe_ the _first thing_ I'm doing is _challenging you to a rematch_."

"I'll be looking forward to it." A small smile played on his lips.

"Now, let's train Zander."

The little family walked over to a clearing in the forest and sat down.

"Now, Zander." Rey was using her teacher voice. "What I first have my students do is close their eyes and relax. That way they can try to feel the Force around them."

Zander huffed impatiently. "I can already _do_ that!"

"Well _I_ haven't seen you do it, so why don't you show me?" She adopted a commanding tone.

Zander gave her a look as he closed his large brown eyes.

" _Your kid._ " Ben mouthed as he snickered.

Rey made a face at him, only making him smirk.

"Are you _paying attention_ , Mom?" Zander was muttering. "I can sense that Dad is _distracting you with his teasing_."

Rey remained patient. "Yes, I'm paying attention. Now, tell me what you're feeling."

"I sense life," There was concentration in Zander's voice. "And death. They're tied together, like a circle, making the Force. I feel it here."

He looked at her with his large brown eyes. "It's inside me. You too."

Rey felt her jaw go slack.

She knew from the moment that she found out she was expecting Zander that he was going to be Force sensitive. Being the product of the Skywalker and Palpatine bloodlines merging, it would have been _nearly impossible_ for him to _not_ be.

She just didn't realize _how strong_ he would be.

Rey recalled what Master Luke had said to her after her first lesson on Ach To.

_"I've only seen this raw energy once before, in my nephew, Ben Solo. It didn't scare me then, but it scares me now."_

A thought followed.

_Should she be scared of the power Zander will be capable of?_

Ben's voice brought her out of her head.

"Good job, buddy."

 _Ben_.

Ben had been trained as a child, though five years older than Zander was now.

He was another five years older when he had fled with the Knights of Ren.

Master Luke had failed him, believing that Ben's choice had already been made to join Snoke. Yet, Ben had been fighting the darkness, fighting it until it had been _scared out_ of him.

If _anyone_ could help Zander if he were to struggle, feel the weight of his power, it would be _Ben._

Looking at Ben and seeing how much he was _loved_ by Zander, Rey knew that the two of them would do _anything_ in their power to keep Zander from falling prey to the lies that had hurt Ben.

They were already doing it at this moment.

Rey and Ben were loving Zander without fear or shame, because they knew that love would put him on the right path.

 _Their_ love.

Their love _for him_.


	13. What You Can't Do

_Ben- Three years later..._

"Hold on! I've got _one_ more thing!"

Nine year old Zander got up from the table and started to run out of the room.

"Wait!" Rey called after him from the kitchen.

Zander stopped in his tracks.

"You have school tomorrow, so you need to start getting ready for bed."

Zander's face fell.

" _What?_ Can't I show Dad _one last thing_?"

Rey looked to Ben, who was sitting in the chair next to Zander's. He shrugged.

She set her jaw. " _One_ thing, Zander Benjamin, _only one_."

Zander grinned at his success before bolting out of the room. He returned momentarily, holding a model ship in his hand.

"It's a Rebellion era, limited edition, model Y-Wing."

He brought it over to the table, his face lighting up as he described it to his father. "I built it myself."

Ben craned his head to get a better look. "All by yourself?"

Zander beamed as he nodded.

"I'm impressed."

"Uncle Poe told me that, when I'm bigger, he'll teach me how to fly something like this. Great-Uncle Chewie was going to, but-"

Zander's once excited voice trailed off.

It was only last year that Chewbacca had passed away. The Wookie had died of natural causes after a long life that had been full of action and adventure, but his death was still fresh for everyone that lived around the former Resistance base.

Ben cleared his throat.

"I wasn't much older than you when my father taught me how to fly, though it was on the Falcon. Not nearly as nice as the ship as your Uncle Poe will probably start you on."

"What was it like, learning from Grandpa?" Zander became interested. "I haven't met him yet. Is he Force sensitive too?"

Ben laughed. "No. And thank the Force for that."

He pondered for a moment.

"It certainly wasn't easy. We would both get frustrated with each other, a lot. But I always looked forward to my lessons, because it meant I got to spend time with my dad."

He looked at Zander.

It was almost like staring in a mirror and looking at _himself_ at nine years old, seeing Zander with his mess of curly black hair and big ears.

It was Zander's eyes though, that reminded Ben of Rey. They may have his shade of brown, but everything else about them was like _her_ , the shape and expressions.

Thinking of his father, Ben couldn't help but remember how strained their relationship had been, even when he was just nine years old.

Han was gone most of the time on one of his smuggling expeditions. Young Ben was forced to tag along on some occasions, and he couldn't help but feel that he was never wanted, just extra cargo that needed to be counted for.

That was how their father-son relationship had worked.

And they had gotten to _live together_.

Ben hoped that, even though he couldn't live with his family, Zander knew _how much_ he loved him. That he wasn't some burden that his father had to keep coming back to or that Ben only visited him because of Rey.

Because it had never been that way.

Zander meant _the galaxy_ to him.

Ben smiled. "Maybe someday, when your time comes and you join me on Al Sed Dur, I can show you my speeder bike."

Zander's eyes grew the size of marbles. "You have a _bike_? What color is it?"

Ben chuckled. "It's black."

"Like almost everything else he owns." Rey smirked as she came behind Zander's chair.

"Now, I believe it's _someone's_ bed time."

Zander groaned as he stood up from the table, Ben doing the same.

"Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, buddy. I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too."

Zander hugged Rey. "Goodnight, Mom."

She wrapped her arms around him. "Goodnight, Zani. I love you."

"I love you too." He let go of her and ran out of the room.

Ben turned to look at Rey, who was standing a few feet away from him.

Now thirty years old, she had aged a little bit, a small worry line coming to view on her forehead. 

Nevertheless, Ben found Rey to have grown even more beautiful, with her warm eyes, full lips, and petite muscular build.

If any out of the two of them had aged, Ben's Force ghost appearance certainly seemed to have.

At Ben's would-be age of thirty-nine, lines were forming by his mouth and on his forehead. His once pitch-black mess of wavy hair had faint streaks of grey.

He didn't mind his state of appearance though. It meant that in some way they were growing old together, and that gave Ben peace of mind.

He cleared his throat.

"Zander's grown since I last saw him."

Rey snorted. "No kidding. He's growing so fast, his clothes are barely catching up with him. _I'm_ barely keeping up with him." Her eyes widened. "It amazes me how much energy Zander has."

Ben chuckled. "I believe he gets that from you. Being energetic is _not_ a trait either Skywalkers _or_ Solos possess."

Rey shook her head. " _Not anymore._ Having a kid takes it _out_ of you."

A smile played on the corners of his lips.

Then a thought struck him, making it vanish.

Rey knit her eyebrows together. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Zander just made me think of my relationship I had with _my_ father at his age."

"And?" She pressed.

"It made me wonder, do you think Zander ever feels like I abandoned him?" His shoulders slumped.

" _Oh, Ben._ " Rey's hazel eyes grew big as she stepped closer towards him.

"Zander _would never_ feel that way. He _loves_ you _so much_. And he _knows_ how much _you love him_ , how much _you care_."

Tears welled up into her eyes as he looked down at her lovely face. "I can _only wish_ that _I_ had a father _as great_ as _you are_."

Ben gazed at her for a second, and without thinking, he lowered his translucent lips to her solid ones.

He was surrounded by her Force warmth, the feeling dancing on his skin, creating small fires on his lips. It was gentle and tender, yet there was an intensity to the kiss at the same time.

His chest swelled with happiness as Ben smiled and pulled away.

All that was wiped away when he looked at Rey.

"Rey? What's wrong?"

She turned her back to him, hugging her arms to her chest.

"Rey?" Worry crept into his voice.

She let out a long sigh. "I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this."

Ben folded his arms. "Doing _what_?"

" _This._ " Rey turned around, gesturing between the two of them. "Whatever _this is_ that's been going on between us."

"Did I do something, say something, that upset you?" His exterior remained composed, but internally, fear was starting to make its way to his head, nesting in his gut.

Rey pursed her lips. "It's more like what you _can't_ do."

Ben stared at her, his mouth parting in anticipation.

"Don't get me wrong, I love seeing you and being able to speak with you. It's just that-" Rey's hazel eyes grew sad.

"When the romantic tension kicks in, it makes me _miss you_. _I know_ that we never had very many physical moments, but _I miss them_."

She walked to the other side of the room. "And all this _missing you_ just drives me _crazy_."

Rey's voice cracked. "Some days, I just want to end it all."

Ben felt the air around him tighten. " _No_ , Rey."

He strode across the room to get closer to her. " _No_. Zander _needs_ you _here_. _I_ need you _here_."

"Zander has people here that can take care of him." She retorted.

"And _you_ need me here? Why do _you need me here_?" Rey huffed. "Don't you realize _how hard_ this is for me?"

"Hey! This is hard for _me too_." Ben narrowed his eyes.

"I didn't give you _my_ life force for you to just take it _away_."

"And _why_ did you do that?" Rey scowled.

"Why did you save me, when you could've walked away _alive_?"

" _Rey_ , we've discussed this already-" Ben growled.

"No, _we haven't_." Rey snapped. "We _start_ to talk about it, but then you _avoid_ a direct answer. _Like you always do_."

She was goading him, deliberately trying to make him angry.

"What's so _sinister_ about _this_ that I _don't deserve_ to know about?"

Ben grit his teeth as he straightened his posture. "Do you really want to know?" His voice was as cool as ice, not giving Rey the satisfaction of lashing out.

The response enraged her. " _Yes, I want to know!_ " Rey practically screamed.

" _Fine!_ " Ben raised his voice to match her's. " _It was because I love you!_ "

He softened. "I love you."

Rey's mouth hung open, a shocked expression on her face.

Ben became guarded.

"I think I need to give you some time to think. _Without me here_. I'm going to say goodbye to Zander, and then I'm going to leave until you're ready to talk."

He started to walk down the hall before stopping.

"Goodbye for now, Rey." His voice shook a little.

Ben stood outside of Zander's door.

"Zander." He called.

"Yes, Dad?" His little voice rang from inside the room.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

Zander was curled up in bed when Ben entered the room.

"What's the matter, Dad?"

Ben sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "Your mom needs some space, which means that I'm going to not be able to visit for some time."

Zander's dark eyes grew sad. "Oh."

"But if you ever need _anything_ , you can call me _any time._ "

"You won't be gone for too long, right?" Zander's lower lip trembled. "Mom loves you, she'll be herself again soon."

Ben gulped. "I sure hope you're right, buddy."


	14. Stupidly Vulnerable

_Ben_

_"I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this."_ Rey's words replayed through Ben's head.

He tossed and turned, gripping his pillow as if clenching hard enough would make the memory go away.

It was no use though.

Ben sat up in his bed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Sleepless nights were no stranger to him. He had experienced several, too many to count when he was Kylo Ren.

Light started to peek through the blinds of his room.

Ben would just have to start his day a little earlier.

He walked into the shower, letting the warm water wash his worries away.

Ben closed his dark eyes as he hung his head under the faucet.

He was met by Rey's angry form.

 _"Don't you realize_ how hard _this is for me?"_

His eyes snapped open, his head pounding.

Or was there someone at the door?

Ben hopped out of the shower, quickly drying his hair as he pulled on a pair of black sweats and a t-shirt. He made his way to the door and opened it.

Han and Leia were behind it.

"Mom, Dad." Ben smoothed his hair back from his face. "What are you guys doing here?"

Leia cleared her throat. "You invited us over for breakfast, sweetie."

"Oh." Ben stared at the floor. "I'm sorry, I forgot."

"You look terrible, kid." Han stated dryly.

Leia smacked him in the arm. "Han!"

"What? His face is all red and blotchy. You were think-"

"It's okay, Ben. We'll help you make it." Leia cut him off.

Ben stepped aside to let them in.

Leia went right to work washing fruit. "You do look as though you didn't sleep well. Is there something wrong?"

"I rarely get a good night's sleep." Ben began to fry some meat on the stove.

"You avoided your mother's question." Han retorted as he cracked some eggs. "That's the Skywalker side in him talking."

"Moreso Solo." Leia shot back.

Ben suppressed an eye roll.

"I'm fine, Mom."

"Oh, you are?" Leia turned to look at him, cocking an eyebrow.

"You forget, son, that I am also Force sensitive and, though I'm not able to read minds like you can, I can sense your emotions. Right now, the way you're feeling is as if someone died. So, no. You're not fine."

Ben dragged a hand across his face as he exhaled. "I had a fight with Rey last night."

The air in the room tensed.

"About what?" Leia prodded gently.

"She wasn't sure how much longer she could handle our relationship." Ben gulped.

"And I told her that I loved her."

Han nearly dropped his fork in the eggs. "You _did_?"

"How did she respond?" Leia smiled.

Ben swallowed, feeling as if there was ice in his lungs as he remembered the part that hurt the most.

"She just _stood_ there with a surprised look on her face, as if she didn't have _a clue_ how I felt about her. I thought I was being obvious."

"What did you do then?"

"I told her that I was going to give her some time to think."

A feeling of dread settled in his chest, as if he already knew what Rey's response would be.

There was a clatter with a knife before Ben felt Leia's hand on his shoulder blade.

He shrugged it off, using it as an excuse to take the meat off the stove.

"That was a very brave thing for you to do, son."

"And stupid. So stupidly vulnerable." Ben swallowed down his bitterness.

"I just told someone that I loved them for the first time in _who knows when_ , only to remember how big of an idiot I am. I should've known that girls like Rey don't belong with guys like me."

He hung his head. "I'll always be Kylo Ren."

"Benjamin Solo, you _stop_ that!" Leia's voice became harsh, before softening again.

"You and I _both know_ that it has been a _long_ time since Rey thought of you as Kylo Ren."

She paused. "You also need to put yourself in _her_ shoes. Think of how Rey grew up and how long she was alone. Do you think she's ever heard _anyone_ before you, besides Zander, tell her that they loved her?"

Ben stood there silently, unable to speak.

Leia continued. " _Of course_ she didn't know how to respond when you told her that. Rey probably didn't even _identify_ that it was love until after you told her. It's good that you gave her space to think. Now she can process those feelings she may be experiencing."

Ben moved some of the food to the table. "What if, after all this time, Rey has finally realized that she doesn't want anything to do with me anymore?"

His voice choked, verbalizing his greatest fear. "I don't know what I'd do without her."

Leia wrapped her arms around him, and this time Ben didn't shy away.

"You don't know for sure if that will happen or not." Han offered his input as he sat down at the table.

"It may seem impossible right now, but we know Rey. Rey has cared about you for a long time, and I don't believe that she'd stop just now. She just needs to clear her head."

"Now," He gestured to the food in front of him.

"Let's stop moping and start eating. I'm _starving_."


	15. Beyond the Stars

_Rey_

A gentle evening breeze drifted through the clearing as Rey sat and looked at the stars that were beginning to come into view.

A memory played in her head.

_It was a night very much like the one she was experiencing. Three year old Zander sat on his mother's lap as they gazed at the navy sky._

_"Mommy," His chubby fingers found Rey's longer ones. "Where does Daddy go after he leaves?"_

_"He lives somewhere very far away." Rey let out a breathy sigh._

_"Somewhere beyond the stars."_

There was a pain in her chest as she was jolted back to reality.

It had been almost a month since Ben had last said goodbye to her. Rey missed him more than she'd thought she possibly could, now that his presence was now stripped from her along with his physicality.

But Rey couldn't call him back to her quite yet.

She needed to be fair to Ben, and in order to do that, she needed to allow herself to properly think.

She had taken Zander to spend the night at Finn and Rose's. They were greeted by Paige, the couple's six year old daughter, who was practically Rey's niece.

She hugged Rose and kissed baby Corban.

Finn studied her.

"Are you alright?"

Rey had given him a half smile.

"I'm good. I just have a lot of thinking ahead of me."

And here she was, sitting in a clearing that overlooked the former Resistance base that had been turned into a civilization.

Rey didn't know where to start. Her thoughts were all tangled up into one jumbled mess, with one question that seemed to float toward the center.

_Has he really loved me all this time?_

She was forming a headache by the minute.

There had to be someone to help her with her thoughts.

She would have called on Ben by now, her main source of advice, but she couldn't go to him for this.

Rey closed her eyes and reached out to a person she felt would be well equipped to advise her.

Leia's shimmering Force ghost appeared in front of her.

"Hello, Rey. It's been some time since I last saw you."

Rey gave her a small smile. "Hello Leia. I need your help with something."

"Anything, child." She sat down on a rock next to her. "How may I be of service?"

"I need some advice."

Rey exhaled. "I had a fight with Ben not too long ago."

"So I heard."

Rey felt her heart drop in her chest. "What did he tell you?"

"Not much." Leia shifted.

"He did mention something about saying a certain _L-word_ to you."

Rey looked down, slightly embarrassed. "After I said something about wanting to end my life and threw a fit."

"Did it surprise you at all when Ben shared that with you?"

"To be honest," Rey bit her lip. "It never occured to me that he could feel that way about me until the words were uttered from his mouth."

"And why is that?"

Rey was silent, a lump forming in her throat.

"Does it have something to do with your past?" Leia pressed.gently.

"It has _everything_ to do with my past."

Rey felt tears trying to escape her hazel eyes.

"Growing up, after my parents left me, though I held on to some hope that they would return, there was always a nagging thought that I was going to die as I was. _Alone_.

Then, I saw Ben Solo through Kylo Ren, and I felt like I found someone who _finally knew me and my loneliness_.

When he came for me that night I went against Palpatine, he made me feel something that I'd never felt before.

 _Hope_.

 _For us and for the future_.

After he died, I think I still kept some of that hope, that I wasn't going to end up alone.

That's probably why it suddenly felt hard for me, because that's how I'm going to remain until my last breath."

"Oh, Rey." Leia wiped her brow.

" _You're not alone._ Ben has made sure of ways to _remind you_ of that. He visits as much as he can, and he gave you a son that _loves_ you. Just because he's not with you physically doesn't mean he's not with you in _here_." She pointed to her heart. "That shows you _how much_ Ben loves you."

Rey sniffled. The dam of tears was beginning to break loose.

"I never thought anyone could love me in that way."

"Well now you know." Leia smiled softly.

"Let me ask you something, Rey. If Ben were still alive, where do you think you would be in life right now?"

"Oh, Leia, I haven't let myself think of that since-"

"I _know_." She stopped her firmly. "Right now though, it will help you with your thinking."

Rey sat quietly for a while.

"Well, to think of now, I'd have to start from the beginning. After Exogol, we probably would have gone back to the Resistance base. Then, I think we would have wanted to go somewhere just us." She paused. "A place where we could be ourselves and just _exist_.

Eventually, I think we would have had Zander and started a family." Rey's lips twitched sadly. "I would have liked to have more children. A daughter, perhaps."

She looked at Leia. "We would have named her after you. Leia Rey."

Leia smiled. "Ben would have wanted those things too. He would have wanted to dream and create goals with you. I believe he loves you _that much_."

Rey could only manage to sit and listen, her chest feeling heavy.

"The next step is deciding what you are going to do with that love. Are you going to return it, or are you going to push it away?"

Rey sat quietly as she thought about the past twelve years of her life.

She saw herself fighting Kylo Ren in the snow on StarKiller Base.

_"You need a teacher."_

His face had been a few inches from her's, the clashing of their lightsabers creating a purple glow.

She saw them in the hut on Ach-To, her face bathed in the fire light.

_"I had never felt so alone."_

_"You're not alone."_

Ben's dark eyes reflected her pain at the time, as if it were his own.

_"Neither are you."_

Rey extended her hand.

Ben removed a glove, and brought his hand to her's.

Rey saw them fighting alongside each other against the Praetorian guards, then against Palpatine.

She saw as Ben took her into his arms and transferred his own life to her. They kissed, rejoicing in their short-lived union.

Rey saw all the moments where Ben did his best to care for and comfort her and Zander, all his visits and advice given. He _always_ came when his little family need him, when _she_ needed him.

"I _love him_ , Leia." She swallowed. "I _love Ben_."

Rey looked back at Leia, her large eyes shining with tears.

"How _is_ he doing?"

"You would think he's fine, with the front he's putting on, but being able to sense his emotions, I can tell that _he's barely holding it together_." She clucked sadly.

"He thinks he's lost you, the only person he's been vulnerable with in a _long_ time."

" _Oh, Ben_." Rey cried. " _Don't_ think that! You've _never_ lost me."

She turned to Leia.

"I need to go to him. I need to apologize and tell him how I feel."


	16. I'm Sorry

_Rey_

The sky was a navy canvas underneath a sea of twinkling stars as Rey made her way back to her small house. She set her knapsack on the counter next to the various wires and bolts she had been tinkering with.

Rey glanced at herself in the mirror.

Her brown hair was up in the usual three loops, though there was a stray leaf in one of them from the trek she had made.

She wiped her hands on her pants and tried to gain a composure of confidence, even though she was _terrified_ internally.

Ben had had time to think too. What if he had decided that she wasn't worth his time?

Rey pushed the thought out of her head and concentrated on the Force.

"Be with me." She muttered.

Ben's Force ghost appeared on the other side of the room. His dark eyes were guarded.

Rey recalled something Leia had told her.

 _"He thinks he's lost_ _you, the only person he's been vulnerable with in a_ long _time."_

There was a sharp pain in her chest.

She had hurt him, and now he was scared to be open with her. He had closed himself off.

"Ben."

Rey sucked on her bottom lip. "I've been thinking a lot since our last conversation."

Ben nodded, his chest muscles tightening as he began to pace.

"I've been thinking about how _selfish_ I've been." She gulped.

"I haven't been fair to you or Zander lately, and for that, _I'm sorry_."

Rey took a step towards him.

"I've spent my entire life _waiting for something_. First it was for my parents to come back for me, then it was for Master Luke to agree to train me, and after that, for you to turn. I had hoped that at some point, I would be done with waiting. But I realized something."

Rey looked Ben in the eyes, tears starting to fall from her own.

"If waiting means that in the end I'll spend forever with you, _an eternity_ of nights spent in your arms, then I'd _gladly_ spend _a thousand_ life times doing it. I'll wait until my time comes to leave."

He softened immediately, his posture relaxing.

Ben's mouth hung slightly opened as he stared at her with a look that she could identify now.

 _Love_.

"So, I guess what I'm trying to say is," Rey brushed a tear away. "I realize now how hard this is for you too, and I'm sorry for complaining. I hope you know, that," Her lips trembled slightly.

" _I love you too_."

"Marry me."

The words seemed to rush out of him.

Rey inhaled.

" _What?_ "

"Look, I know that we don't know when you'll be joining me, but I think the best way to start our afterlife together would be to _celebrate_ our coming together. Our _union_."

Ben stepped towards her.

"Rey, I've thought about being fully yours since the _moment_ our hands touched on Ach-To and I saw a future of _us together_."

He knelt down in front of her.

"Though this certainly wasn't where I imagined us being, I've loved every moment of every little thing I've gotten to know about you. You've made me a better man than I possibly could of dreamed of being, and I can't wait to start forever with you."

Ben took her hand, the warmth of his Force aura licking her skin. "Marry me, Rey. Be my wife, my family, my love, my _everything_. You'll never be alone again."

More tears escaped as Rey managed a small "yes."

A big grin spread across her face as she tried to remember the last time she had been this happy. 

"I _love_ you."

"I love you too."

Ben gazed up at her. "I wish I had a ring to give you."

Rey wiped her eyes with her free hand. "I think I have some wire on that counter with my knapsack, if I could shape it into one."

Ben stood up and walked over to the counter she had described.

Using the Force, he picked up a thin piece of wire, and twisted it into a small circular shape.

Going back over to Rey, he knelt down once again and slipped it on her finger.

Rey flexed her hand, admiring the way Ben had shaped her ring. "It's beautiful."

Ben smiled as he stood up. "I'm glad you like it."

She looked into his dark eyes and basked in the warmth she found.

Rey held a hand up and out towards him.

Ben studied her for a minute before he placed his large one on top of it.

They were silent as they simply enjoyed the intimacy they were experiencing.

Ben placed his other arm around her as he moved in closer.

Rey revelled in the sensational warmth that was now covering her backside.

She held her other hand up close to his face, his Force aura tingling below her palms.

He was now looking at her directly underneath him.

Rey glanced at his full lips before craning her neck as she puckered her own.

Ben met her halfway, his Force warmth rolling like an ocean as their lips collided.

Rey did her best to kiss him back with the circumstances. She wanted to melt into him, to be smothered by his energy.

They pulled away, gazing into the other's eyes.

Ben spoke first.

"Is Zander asleep?"

Rey shook her head.

"He's not here, he's spending the night at Finn and Rose's. I wanted to be able to think without any distractions. And he likes it there. They're practically family."

She paused.

"He missed you."

"I missed him too." He smiled sadly. "If only there was a way that I could remain here without having to return to Al Sed Dur."

"I do too, but I'm sure they need you there." Rey gave him an empathetic grin.

Ben knit his eyebrows together as he shook his head.

"I wouldn't care if they did. My ties are with my family, that's all that matters to me."

Rey felt her face grow warm as she beamed up at him. "Would you lie down with me, while I fall asleep?"

He nodded, his dark eyes warm. "Yes."

She led him down the hallway to wear her room was. 

Rey sat down on the edge of her bed to pull her boots off.

Ben stood awkwardly in the door frame, watching her intently.

Rey gestured to the other side of the bed.

"Make yourself comfortable."

His posture relaxed as he settled down, his arms folded behind his head full of black hair.

A pang of sadness filled her chest as she started to think of moments that could've bee-

_No._

Rey stopped herself.

There would be no more what ifs and should haves.

From now on, there would only be _wills_ and _woulds_.

Soon enough, she and Ben _will_ have a home together, and she _would_ join him to be his forever.

Soon enough, she _would_ start her new life as _Rey Solo_.

Rey smiled to herself as she glanced at the wire wrapped around her finger.

Rey Solo had a nice ring to it.

She would just have to continue to do what she did best.

 _Wait_.

And for once, Rey didn't mind.

If it meant getting to marry Ben and be his wife, of course she wouldn't mind.

She wouldn't mind _at all_.


	17. Proud

_Rey- Three years later..._

"Breath in, breath out."

Rey sat cross-legged in the clearing, facing her group of twelve students as they meditated. The Force was flowing strongly there as the group chanted under their breaths.

Rey planted her palms on either side of her. She could feel the Force sturdily streaming through her veins, travelling in her blood.

A sparkling light bouncing off her ring finger drew her attention.

It had been three years since Ben had proposed to her, and though waiting was still hard at times, knowing that he loved her was enough to help Rey get through it.

Rey dismissed her students and started to gather her things, but was distracted by a bright purple light.

"Zander, _how_ many times have I had to tell you that your saber is _not_ a _toy_? Put it away _now_."

She looked across the clearing at her son.

At twelve years old, Zander was looking very much like his father, his dark hair curling at the nape of his neck as his large ears peeked out from underneath.

"I wasn't _playing_ with it, Mom. I was only admiring the glow."

He jogged over to her.

Rey eyed him.

Zander had clearly inherited Ben's height as he stood just below her temples, yet he was more lanky and not nearly as broad as Ben had been.

"You _better be_."

"You know, Mom," He gave her a sly look. "Wouldn't it improve my training if I were to practice combat moves, on someone more skilled?"

Rey cocked an eyebrow at him.

He was for sure Ben Solo's son.

"I sure hope you _never_ have to use combat moves of any sort, Zani. _But_ , it might be useful for you to learn if needed."

Zander looked at her hopefully.

"So does that mean that you're saying you'll train me?"

A small grin teased the corners of her lips.

"If you'll listen to me."

He returned it as he pulled out his new lightsaber. Rey grabbed her own as she took her stance several yards away.

"The trick is to find how you can use your body to your advantage. For myself, I've used my agileness to keep my opponents on their toes by constantly being on the move, doing flips, and jumping. Your father, on the other hand, would use his height and build, as well as his strength, to cut his opponents down."

Zander's face went blank as he processed her information.

"So how will I know what works for _me_?"

"I've found experience to be the best teacher." Rey gave him an encouraging smile. "You'll discover for yourself soon enough."

"You'll go easy on me, right?"

"Of course, dear." She ignited her yellow blade. "No maiming or kill shots. Are you ready?"

Zander nodded as he positioned the purple lightsaber in his hands.

He charged.

Rey swung at him as he blocked her strike.

"Next time, bait your opponent into making the first move. That way, your energy is preserved longer."

She sidestepped and jumped several yards away.

Zander went after her, taking the offensive side as he thrust his purple blade toward his mother.

Rey barely had time to flip away before she was forced to parry another strike.

"Better, Zander."

Rey pressed forward to gain dominance as their lightsabers clashed.

The purple and yellow glows danced in front of them, their connection creating a murky brown color.

Zander grit his teeth, perspiration glinting on his brow as he struggled to hold his ground.

He broke away to give himself some space before he parried some more hits.

Zander spun, hoping to bring an element of surprise to throw his mother off.

That was his mistake though, for as soon as he gave her the space, Rey kicked his legs out from underneath him.

Using that distraction, she disarmed him, forcing his saber into her hands, and pinned him to the ground.

Zander was panting.

"Not bad for your first try." Rey grinned down at him.

She helped him up. "Your father would have been very proud."

"I _am_ very proud."

Ben's shimmering blue Force ghost lumbered towards them.

"Dad." Zander stood a little straighter. "How much did you see?"

"All of it." He placed a translucent hand on his son's shoulder.

"Well done, my boy."

Zander's cheeks were tinged pink. "Thank you."

Ben's lips curled. "Now run along so I can I talk to your mother."

Zander nodded before sprinting off.

Rey grinned at him. "Have you worked on any wedding plans lately?"

"Not a ton since we decided it would be only close friends and family." He moved closer to her. "I did ask my grandfather if he could marry us."

"Did you?" Rey murmured as she held out her hand to him. "What was his answer?"

Ben took it, placing his lips to each knuckle. His Force warmth grazed her skin, their only form of contact.

"He gladly accepted."

Ben nuzzled his face with her hand. "Just a thought, but can we not have dancing after the ceremony?"

Rey chuckled. "Are you too big to be a dancer?"

Ben narrowed his eyes. "No, I just choose not to."

"I'm only joking, Ben." She playfully swatted at him. "I'm not much of a dancer myself."

He smirked slightly while she gave him a look.

"Let's just have a dinner with everyone once the ceremony is done."

"Sounds good." His dark eyes brightened. "Have you decided what you want to wear?"

"A pretty dress sounds nice." Rey's gaze turned dreamy. "I've never worn a beautiful dress, or anything beautiful for that matter. I probably wouldn't know what to pick. Will you choose one for me?"

Ben's eyebrows shot up.

" _Me_? _You_ want _me_ to pick out your wedding dress?"

Rey laughed. "Yes, Ben. I trust you. You've got good taste."

He smiled. "Well then, I'll be on the lookout for most beautiful, special dress for my beautiful, special girl."

"Now you're just being silly, Ben." She blushed.

"I'm being serious."

Ben looked deep into her large hazel eyes. "You deserve everything that's good and lovely _in the galaxy and beyond_. You ask me for anything and I'll give it to you."

Rey gave him a close-mouthed grin. "Well, that's very sweet, but the only thing I want right now is _you_."

Ben smiled back at her. "Then that's what you'll receive."

He descended, their lips meeting. They were getting better at bending their limitations, mixing her solidity with his transparency.

Rey let his tongue break into her mouth, feeling Ben's Force warmth brushing the back of her molars and her palate.

His hand was in her hair, stroking the back of her neck. She moved a hand to wear his chest would be.

They broke away smiling at one another, dreaming of the possibilities of what they could do once they were solidly together.


	18. Bring Him Home

_Ben- three years later..._

The command room at the western headquarters of the Defenders of Peace was in a lull compared to its usual hustle and bustle.

Where there were usually many people pouring over maps and coordinates were unfilled posts and empty chairs.

Only two were taken.

Ben Solo was leaning back in his chair sipping his morning coffee, while his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, was slumped over the table analysing numbers.

He felt a familiar tension in the Force, a pressure in his gut.

_"Ben, Ben."_

Rey's voice called out in a clear whisper that only he could hear.

Ben looked across the table. "Grandfather-"

"Go to your fiancée." Anakin assured him. "I'll cover for you."

Ben closed his black eyes, following the string to Rey's Force aura.

He opened them to find himself in Rey's living room.

It must have been around the middle of the night, only a single light on over the small table.

Rey sat on the sofa with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her face was red and puffy, her hazel eyes bloodshot.

She stood to meet him. "Oh, Ben. Thank the Force."

He strode over to her. "Rey, it must be past midnight here. Why aren't you asleep?"

"Zander was supposed to be home _three hours ago_ , but hasn't showed up yet." Her lips blubbered and tears began to fall.

"Ben, what if _something happened_ to him? I don't know what I'd do-"

"Hey, hey, hey." Ben shushed as he wrapped his arms around her.

"You would have felt something if it had. I'll go find him and bring him home."

"You will?"

He gave her a small smile. "I promise."

Ben kissed Rey's forehead before closing his eyes once again, trying to locate his son's Force energy.

He was met with a dark night sky and a chill in the air. A fire blazed several yards away from him. Five teenagers sat around it, chatting lightheartedly.

Ben pinpointed Zander, who was grinning as he had an arm wrapped around a pretty blonde girl.

A tick formed in his jaw as he clenched his teeth.

" _Zander Benjamin Solo!_ " He yelled across the clearing, knowing fully well only his son could hear him.

Zander's face went slack.

"I've got to go." Ben saw him say to the girl before standing up and leaving the fire.

Ben waited until they were miles away before turning to his son.

"Have you lost _your damn mind_?" He roared.

"I came to find your mother _sobbing_ on the sofa, distraught _at just the thought_ of you being dead. You're the only family she has left, Zander."

Ben huffed. "You're all that she has now. Don't make her worry like this."

"I'm sorry, Dad. I wasn't thinking-" Zander started before Ben cut him off.

"Damn right you weren't thinking." He snarled.

"Don't go apologizing to me when your mother is the one who needs to hear it."

Ben paused, wiping a hand across his forehead as he allowed himself to cool down.

"Look, Zander. I probably shouldn't be telling you this as you're fifteen and I don't want to make you worry, but if you're going to be staying out recklessly late, then you're not leaving me any choice."

Ben looked into his son's large brown eyes. "Your mother is _dying_ , Zander. I can feel the life force I gave her beginning to fade."

Zander's face had a crestfallen expression, as if he'd had the wind knocked out of him.

Ben continued. "Now, this doesn't mean that she's going to be gone by tomorrow. This could take months, _years_ to happen. My point is, you've got time right _now_. I still want you to be a kid and have your fun, but you have to _choose wisely_ how you spend your time."

He swallowed. "If I had known how short my life was going to be, there are many things I would have done differently."

The two of them walked silently through the trees before Ben spoke again.

"Was she worth it?"

Zander wore a confused look. "What?"

"The blonde who was hanging on your arm." He gave him a sly smile. "Was she worth it?"

Even in the dark, Ben could make out a new redness in Zander's cheeks.

"Oh, that's Sienna."

"And?" He pressed. "Do you like her?"

Zander shrugged.

"I don't know, Dad. It's hard to tell with girls like her. Sometimes I think she's just leading me on. How did you know with Mom?"

Now it was Ben's turn to blush.

"There's a story right there." He paused, slightly nervous.

"Does your mother ever talk about her days with the Resistance?"

"A few stories here and there, but not much."

"Did she ever tell you any involving Kylo Ren?"

"When I was younger, she did. They always involved lightsaber duels."

Ben anxiously ran a hand through his wavy dark hair.

"What do you know about Kylo Ren?"

"Just that he did some bad things for the First Order."

Zander's brown eyes brightened. "And that you killed him."

Ben let out a small, sad laugh.

"Zander, I _was_ Kylo Ren. I fell prey to lies that filled my head, and for a long time, I felt trapped. Your mother saved me. She brought the goodness back from deep inside me, saw me for who I really was. Because of that, I guess, in a way I _did_ kill Kylo Ren. I killed him by becoming Ben Solo again."

The two walked quietly for some time.

"Zander," Ben's voice grew serious. "I need you to promise me that you won't say _a word_ to your mother about her life force fading."

He hesitated. "It might, uh, excite her."

"I know." Zander nodded. "I notice the way she brightens when you enter the room, and how that light dims the moment you leave. She really wants to be with you, Dad. She loves you a lot."

Ben smiled to himself as they made their trek in the dark.

The two of them made their way to Rey's home. Ben stopped him before they reached the door.

"Now, when we go in there, you're going to apologize to your mother. Understood?"

"Understood." Zander nodded.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes, buddy?"

"Thanks for talking with me."

Ben smiled. "Any time."

The two of them walked into the living room to find a sleeping Rey on the couch. She sat up in a haze at the sound of her son's footsteps.

"Zander! Where have you been? You made me sick-"

"I know, Mom. And I'm sorry." Zander embraced her in a hug as she stood up, his chin resting on the top of her head.

"I wasn't thinking about how you would feel if I stayed out so late. Please forgive me."

Rey began to cry into her son's shirt. "I forgive you; I'm just glad you're alright."

Ben watched his little family with a bittersweet sort of happiness.

Soon enough, he would be able to show his affection by other than his actions and words.

Soon enough, he would be holding his love in his arms.

Rey caught his eye and gave him a look, as if to say "well done, thank you."

Ben simply nodded, the corners of his lips slightly curving upwards as he began to fade away.


	19. She's Ready

_Rey/Ben- four years later..._

After a long evening of meditation, Rey opened her large hazel eyes.

Where she usually felt refreshed and awake from her sessions, she now felt drained and on the brink of exhaustion.

She steadily heaved herself up from the ground and made her trek out of the forest into the town.

Rey hobbled through the busy streets of the market.

Poe was squabbling with a merchant over a ship part before he caught her eye.

"Rey!" He called.

"Hi, Poe." She waved.

Poe's usual suave and smooth demeanor flickered as his brown eyes looked over her with concern.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Rey feigned a confident smile. "Just tired."

"Take care of yourself, Rey." Poe turned back to the merchant and picked their argument right back up.

Rey simply nodded as she carried along past the vendors.

She had been saying that she was just tired for nearly a year now. Rey had noticed how she had begun to slow down, how she had started to move as if she were stuck in an endless sandstorm like ones she used to experience on Jakku.

But she was only forty years old.

She was still young, in a sense.

Rey had expressed her concern to Ben a few months ago about what was happening to her body and the weakness that was starting to overtake her.

That's when the puzzle pieces all began to click into place.

Ben's life force that he had transferred to her was at its end, meaning that her time on Endor was almost up.

Rey made her way up to the valley where multiple homes were spread out. She passed Finn and Rose's, where she found Finn settled in hammock that was nestled between two trees in the front yard.

"Hi, Rey!" He popped his head out as he rubbed his sleepy eyes.

"Hi, Finn." She laughed. "Did you have a good nap?"

"It wasn't much of one." He grumbled. "Having five kids means that real rest doesn't exist."

Rey grinned at him. "Well, then I'll leave you be."

She said goodbye before making the round to her own home.

Zander sat in a chair outside while he tinkered, a hobby she had passed down to him.

Rey smiled.

At nineteen years old, he had grown to become the man that she and Ben had hoped would be. Zander looked very much like his father, having been given Ben's height and dark features, but had inherited his mother's passionate manner and zest for life.

Something had changed within him that night four years ago when Ben had brought him home.

Zander had opened himself up to her, and a deep bond had been formed beyond their mother-son relationship.

They had become close companions, the best of friends.

Though Zander had devoted himself to continue to study the Force as his family before him, he had also decided not long ago that he had wanted to become an engineer as well.

He had saved his earnings, and though Rey had told him that he was free to leave when he wanted, Zander had insisted on staying with her until he was no longer needed.

Rey passed him as she walked into the house, each step seeming to grow heavier and heavier.

Suddenly, it was almost as if she had lost her ability to walk.

Rey's legs gave out from under her, and she fell to the floor in a heap.

Meanwhile, Ben was eating lunch at Han and Leia's. 

He had been enjoying a bowl of creamy soup as he chatted with his parents.

Ben stood up and put his bowl in the sink.

"Thanks for lunch, Mom."

Leia smiled at him. "You are welcome. I'm glad _someone_ here appreciates it."

She shot Han a look from across the table.

Han held his hands up in defense. "Just because I don't go singing your praises each time _doesn't mean_ I don't like your food."

Ben simply rolled his eyes before he was hit with an immense pain in his gut.

He doubled over.

"Ben!"

Both of his parents rushed over to him.

"It's- it's Rey." He managed.

"Her time has come. She's ready to die."

Ben's heart was pounding inside his chest as his emotions battled each other.

He was scared for Rey and the pain she would have to experience. She must be in agony right now.

But at the same time, Ben couldn't help but feel excited too.

It felt as if the other half of his soul was slowly joining him, like he was trying to seek her presence out.

This was the day they had been waiting for.

It only took twenty years to happen.

"What are you waiting for?" Leia shook him out of his stupor.

"Rey needs you."

"You're right." Ben stood up straight.

"I'll see you guys after everything is finished."

And with that, he disappeared.


	20. Let Go

_Ben_

Ben opened his dark eyes to the familiar setting of Rey's living room.

After adjusting his appearance to be that of a fifty year old man, he searched his surroundings, his heart thumping loudly in his ears not helping his concentration.

The sight that he was met with nearly broke it.

Mighty Rey Skywalker, the last of the Jedis and equal opponent of Kylo Ren, lay sprawled across the floor.

Ben's throat tightened as he recalled the night twenty years ago when he stumbled across a cave on Exogol to find Rey in a state very much like this. The memory still made him emotional, as if it were still fresh.

But Rey wasn't dead yet.

She was still just barely hanging on by a thread.

Just barely.

" _Help_."

Her small body was wracked with sobs as he knelt down next to her.

"Ben." She whimpered.

As much as it pained him to see her so pitiful, Ben kept a strong front.

"Don't be afraid." His deep voice was gentle. "I feel it too."

"Mom, I thought I heard a crash. Are you okay?"

Zander rushed into the room from outside.

His face fell as he saw the scene before him.

" _Oh. Oh no._ "

Ben managed to remain calm. He needed to be brave for them.

"Zander, we don't have much time." His voice broke a little but he kept going.

"I need you to carry your mother to her bed and help her get comfortable. I'm going to find Finn."

Zander gave him a small, affirmative nod before he vanished again.

Ben found himself to be in a section of the forest. A house was visible in the distance, but he could feel a Force signature coming from a ratty green hammock much closer to him.

Sure enough, his former trooper FN-2187 was sound asleep in his little cocoon.

" _Finn._ " Ben hissed urgently as he used the Force to shake the hammock a bit.

"Wha-" Finn rubbed his brown eyes before he nearly jumped out of his skin, the act causing him to be flipped over.

He cursed as he stood up.

"Ky-, Ben, please tell me that you didn't come just to wake me up." Finn glared.

Ben held back a smirk.

If it weren't for the dire circumstances, he would have been fairly amused.

"It's not, actually; I need your help. Rey is going to die soon, and I need you to gather those closest to her so she can say goodbye."

The color drained out of Finn's face.

"I'll- I'll be there as soon as I can." He stammered.

Ben gave him a grateful sliver of a smile. "Thank you. That means a lot to her."

Finn simply nodded before rushing off, running as fast as his legs could carry him.

Ben closed his dark eyes and returned to Rey's home. He strode through her living room, down the hall, and into her bedroom.

Rey was lying propped up in bed, her grey-flecked brown hair spread out on the pillows behind her.

Zander was sitting on the edge of it beside her, stroking her hand. His large brown eyes were rimmed red and he kept biting his bottom lip as if he were trying to keep tears at bay.

A strong feeling of compassion for his son burned in Ben's chest.

He could still remember how painful it was to experience his own mother's death, and they hadn't been nearly as close as Rey and Zander were.

"Ben." Rey breathed as he knelt down next to her.

"Don't waste any words on me, Rey." He hushed before a small smile reached his face.

"Save it for our wedding tomorrow."

A flicker of a smile brightened her face despite the pain she was experiencing.

Ben looked at his little family, knowing it would be the last time he did in their situation.

"Finn is getting Poe, and whoever else he thinks you'll want to see one last time. They should be here soon."

Zander breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Dad. I'm glad you're here with us."

Ben gave him a comforting smile. "Of course."

"REY!"

Finn's voice could be heard from outside.

Zander stood up from the edge of the bed. "I'll get it. Be right back."

"Ben." Rey's hazel eyes grew watery as she stirred slightly.

"I don't know how I'm going to say goodbye."

"It'll come to you." He placed a hollow kiss on her sweat-laced forehead. "Your heart will guide you to the words."

Zander came back into the room followed by Finn and Poe Dameron, as well as three women Ben had never seen before, but assumed to be Rose Tico, Jannah Calrissian, and Zorii Bliss; three friends he had heard Rey talk about before.

The group was struggling to remain emotionless.

They had never seen Rey, one of the strongest people they knew, so vulnerable and helpless.

Ben placed a translucent hand on her arm as Zander reclaimed his post. "Whenever you're ready, sweetheart."

Rey took a shallow breath before she addressed her friends.

"I don't really know where to start. You all are like my family, something I never thought I'd die having. You love Zander and I as if we were of your own flesh and blood, and for that I thank you. Please look out for him when I'm gone."

"Of course." They murmured.

"Rose, my sister. Thank the Force that I had another girl to help me deal those two wild Banthas."

Rose's button nose sniffled as she let out a sad laugh and put her arm around Finn.

"Thank you for always opening your home to Zander and I, and for all the years you volunteered child care. You've become a trusty confidant and great supporter. I'll miss you dearly."

"Poe," She turned her attention to him.

The handsome rogue that always appeared tough had a strong front that was beginning to crumble. Zorii squeezed his hand as Finn draped an arm across his shoulder.

"You and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but despite that I've loved you like a brother. No matter how preoccupied or busy you've been, you have always made yourself emotionally available and remembered to check on me when I was distant. You are a selfless leader, and that's something I've always admired about you."

"Finn," Rey met her friend's gaze, and he lost it immediately. Rose hugged him a little tighter.

"You're the one that brought me into this mess."

The group laughed, though more tears were falling.

"But because of that, you're the one who I owe the most thanks to. Because of you, I am surrounded by friends who are family, I realized my connection with the Force, I had a son, and I met the love of my forever."

At this, Ben smiled openly.

Rey continued. "You were my first friend, and because of that you will always hold a special place in my heart. Let the Force guide you. I love you, my brother."

"Zander Benjamin Solo, my son." She choked on those last words. Ben stroked Rey's arm as she fought to continue.

"You were named that as a reminder to me that I still had a part of your father still with me. Rarely have I had days where I was truly happy, but the few that I had was because of _you_. You've been my galaxy, my everything, and if not for you I'd probably be dead already. Thank you for being the best companion and son a mother could ask for."

Rey reached up to wipe the tears that were falling from Zander's face before grasping his hands. "As the last of the Skywalkers, it is your job now to teach and train the next coming of Force sensitives in the ways of the Force. I want you to keep my lightsaber, so that your children and their children may be able to use it. I have faith in you."

Zander leaned forward so that he could hug his mother for one last time.

"How am I going to go on without you?"

Rey kissed his cheek.

"Be strong, my boy. No one's ever truly gone. You will always hold my love."

A dazzling bright light filled the room as a multitude of Force ghosts entered, Ben's mother and uncle included.

All of the Jedi had come to witness the death of the last of their kind.

It was time.

Rey was fighting it though, Ben could feel it.

"You're still holding on." He spoke gently. "Let go."

She looked up at him with a fearful expression. "You'll meet me on the other side, right?"

"Of course."

Rey looked back at Zander and her friends for the last time. "May the Force be with you all."

"Always." The group responded.

Ben watched as Rey relaxed back into her bed, a peaceful smile on her lips as she closed her eyes once more.

Her body went limp as loud sobs broke out from around the room.

Rey faded away, leaving behind only the clothes that she had been wearing.

Ben turned to Zander, who was staring wide-eyed at where his mother had been seconds before. 

"I'm sorry that I have to leave you like this.

"Don't be." Zander looked up sluggishly towards his father.

"Now that Mom is gone, does that mean you won't visit me anymore?"

"Of course not, I never came just for her." Ben's voice cracked slightly.

"I love you, son."

"I know, Dad." Zander managed a smile.

"Take good care of her for me, will you?"

"I'll treat her like the queen she is. You can always call on us when needed, but-"

"I know, I know," Zander held his hands up. "I'll give you guys some time."

Ben smiled. "Thanks for understanding. See you around, kid."

He transported himself back into Han and Leia's kitchen.

The two of them flew at him.

"What happened?"

"She's here."

The realization of the words he just said hit him.

Ben stood a little straighter.

" _Rey is here_."

He proceeded to freak out.

"I need a mirror, a comb, and a mint! _Somebody get the former Supreme Leader a mint!_ "

Han and Leia held back a few laughs as they scrambled to find what Ben was panicking about.

He quickly styled his hair and popped the mint in his mouth before rushing out the door.

"Ben, wait!" Leia called after him, causing him to halt in his tracks.

"After Rey goes through the security check, bring her back over here. I'm inviting the family over for dinner!"

"Will do."

Ben smiled to himself as he hopped on his speeder bike and took off through the country.

He was going to get his girl.

They were finally going to be together, and there was nothing that would separate them now.


	21. Keep You To Myself

_Rey_

A cool breeze tickled her skin as Rey opened her large hazel eyes. She blinked a few times before she focused on her surroundings.

She was sitting in a tiny boat, surrounded by a dark vast ocean.

Rey had a strong feeling of deja vu, as if she had been here before.

That's when she remembered.

She _had_ been here, in this boat on the same body of water, twenty years ago.

Rey looked down at the ocean below her, remembering how the last time she had jumped in and submerged herself before awakening in Ben's arms the next second.

_Ben._

For the first time in twenty years, she could actually _sense_ his Force signature.

It was coming closer to her; their Dyad had been restored.

Rey let out a laugh of pure joy at the feeling, the moist salty air collecting on her tongue.

Land was coming into view, a strip of beach wrapped around green hills and grassy fields; somewhere on there, Ben was coming to meet her just like he had promised.

How strange it was to her that she could have different feelings about being in the same place from separate times.

When Rey had first been in the boat, she wanted desperately to get out of it, but now, there was nowhere else she wanted to go.

She was coming to her home, and Ben was quite the handsome one.

Rey looked down at her reflection in the ocean once again, and was surprised to see that she no longer looked like a forty year old woman, but as if she were twenty again.

Her brown hair was half up, half down, and her wraps were darker than normal.

With a start, she realized that she looked exactly like she did when she met Ben on the Supremacy before he killed Snoke for her.

The boat pulled up on the shore and slid into the sand. Rey climbed out and dusted herself off. She checked her appearance one last time, and began her trek into the lush grassy fields.

She trampled through the mid-calf high blades toward the looming hills.

Ben was getting closer, she could feel it.

Then, from out of the shadows and clusters of trees, a shiny black speeder bike emerged.

Rey recalled a memory of a conversation between Zander and Ben at the table in her kitchen ten years ago.

_"Maybe someday, when your time comes and you join me on Al Sed Dur, I can show you my speeder bike."_

_Zander's eyes grew the size of marbles. "You have a bike? What color is it?"_

_Ben chuckled. "It's black."_

Sure enough, a head of black hair was visible from behind the visor.

Rey's heart fluttered in her chest.

Ben was here.

Rey continued to walk towards the hill as Ben began to speed down it.

He seemed to be growing impatiently desperate, as he decided to ditch the bike, stopping it at the base of the hill.

Ben hopped off the bike and the two of them stared at each other, separated by several yards.

Rey looked him over.

She remembered Ben being broad and tall, but before her now he seemed _massive_. His muscular arms looked as if they could snap tree trunks in half.

But most importantly, Ben was physically _solid_.

There was no blue Force ghost outline hanging around him like there used to.

He was wearing a black long sleeve shirt over a pair of black trousers; the exact same outfit he had been wearing when he came to her aid on Exogol, minus the hole in his shirt.

With a start, she realized something.

They both looked like they did the moments the other person had fallen in love with them; for Ben it had been in the throne room on the Supremacy, and for Rey it had been in the cave on Exogol.

Rey decided to test _how much_ of their bond had been restored.

 _"Ben."_ She gently pressed into his mind.

 _"Rey."_ Ben immediately responded, opening the floodgates to his emotions.

She felt his longing and his heartache, his joy and disbelief, as if they were her own.

And love, _so much love_. It was practically _overflowing_ from him.

All of it was for _her_. Every single ounce of it was about Rey.

Ben's dark eyes gazed at her intently, as if she were the greatest thing to ever exist.

A giant grin spread across Rey's face as her limbs unfroze and she broke into a sprint.

Ben barrelled towards her, slowing down when they got closer to each other so as not to ram into her.

Rey, however, had no plan on stopping until she reached him.

She leapt into his arms, squealing with delight.

Ben's whole face lit up as he spun her around, though the moment was short-lived when he stepped back onto a rock, and the two of them fell in a tangled heap on the grass.

Ben groaned dramatically as he arched his back. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, but only because you broke my fall." Rey giggled as she moved off of Ben's chest.

"How about you? Are you okay?"

Ben sat up. "I'm feeling great."

He glanced at her lips. "Better than I've been in a long time."

Rey had a strong sense of deja vu as she took in the sight before her.

She leaned across hesitantly, becoming more afraid of the possibility that Ben would vanish from her touch.

Their lips met, the skin pressing together gently. They were exploring familiar ground, reliving old tastes and territories they hadn't gotten to in twenty years.

And it felt _incredible_.

The two of them broke away, just slightly though so that their foreheads were touching.

Once their limbs began to hurt from sitting on the ground, Ben stood up.

He offered Rey his hand to help her.

She took it, and as he pulled her up,

Rey was hit with a wave of memories. Fighting on Star-Killer Base, the hut on Ach-To, both of Ben's offers on the Supremacy, the cave on Exogol, and visits in Rey's living room; all of them were memories that lead up to the moment they were experiencing right now.

"Rey?"

Ben's voice brought her to reality.

He looked at their entwined hands and then back to Rey, feeling her emotions.

Rey fiercely pulled him to her and held onto his torso as she trembled. Ben wrapped an arm around her waist and moved a hand to the back of her head.

 _"I'm never letting go of you ever again."_ His voice filled her head."

At those words, the sob that had been building up in her throat broke loose, and Rey began to cry into Ben's sweater.

She clung to him tighter. Ben simply held her, rubbing her back as Rey melted into him like she had wanted to for so long. A few sniffles escaped here and there.

Rey pulled away just enough so that she could look at him, and was surprised to see Ben's face was red and blotchy.

After all this time, she had never really seen him cry.

She burst into a fresh let of tears as she thumbed away the tracks going down his cheeks.

"I told myself I wasn't going to cry."

"Me too."

He cupped her face in his hands, and leaned down to press his lips to each tear. Rey closed her eyes, revelling in his touch.

She opened them when she felt his absence, only to find him staring at her with an odd smile on his face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"How you manage to get even more beautiful with each second I stare at you."

Rey felt her cheeks grow warm as she looked at her feet before back up at him.

"You're such a flirt."

Ben smirked. "I'm glad you noticed."

Then he descended and kissed her once more.

Where the first kiss had been one to test and see how much the other was fully there, this one was full of romantic love and passion. Rey pressed up against him, one hand on Ben's jaw and the other gripping the neckline of his sweater as a means to pull him closer. Ben's hands traveled down to her waist as his tongue slipped into her mouth, one kiss blending seamlessly into the next.

Breathless, Ben pulled away.

"I'm supposed to take you back to headquarters, but I just want to keep you to myself right now."

"Then don't." Rey proceeded to kiss him again.

"But it's my job." He murmured against her lips.

"Then let's get it over with." She grumbled as she began to untangle herself from him.

Ben stopped her. "Allow me."

He swooped her up so that he was carrying her bridal style.

Rey giggled as she snaked her arms around his next. "Ben, you know I can walk."

"Yes, but I just told you that I'm never letting you go. I'm a man of my word; I keep my promises."

She rolled her eyes at him, though it wasn't enough to wipe the large grin off her face.

"Well, then I'll follow your lead."

Rey nuzzled her head against Ben's chest as he began to carry her towards the base of the hill where the speeder bike was parked.


	22. Nothing Without You

_Rey_

The wind whipped through Rey's medium-length brown hair as they cruised through the outskirting jungles of Al Sed Dur.

With her arms wrapped around Ben's waist and her head resting on his shoulder, she was tempted to close her eyes, but the thrill of experiencing her new home kept them open.

She wanted to remember this.

Even Ben seemed a little excited about getting to show her around, something Rey judged from his emotions and the small smile that was plastered to his face as he drove.

A large garage filled with ships and other vehicles came into view, and before she knew it, they were already parking.

Ben hopped off before holding his arm out to Rey to help her stay balanced.

She swung her leg around and grabbed his shoulders as she stepped off the speeder bike.

He pulled her close to him.

"Listen, before we go in, I must warn you about a few things. First, when you go in, there's going to be a chair in the room that will bind you in restraints once you sit down. It's a standard procedure and there's nothing harmful involved, so it's nothing to worry about."

Ben moved his hands up to Rey's shoulders as he stared deep into her hazel eyes.

"Now, the other thing is that in order for you to be evaluated to get into Al Sed Dur, your whole life is going to be played right before you. There's no escaping it, even if you close your eyes. I'll be right there if you need me, but if you don't want me in the room I can wait out in the hallway."

Rey exhaled sharply.

"No, I want you there with me. My life wasn't exactly what you'd call sunshine and rainbows, though most of it was spent under a blazing hot sun."

Ben gave her a sympathetic smile. "You can always squeeze my hand if you need to."

"Thank you." Rey pulled him into a quick hug.

"Now let's do this, shall we? My mom is preparing something with the family at home,and she'll be ticked if we keep them waiting long."

Rey giggled as Ben led her into one of the interrogation rooms.

Inside was one of the chairs that he had described, and sitting across the table from it was a man with brown hair like hers cascading over the shoulders of his beige uniform jacket, and a beard to go with it.

"Sorry for the wait, Master Jinn. There were a few delays."

Ben's face was expressionless, but Rey could tell he was holding back a smirk.

She swiftly elbowed him in the back as a cue for him to knock it off.

He grunted slightly.

"It's alright, Solo." Jinn gestured to the chair. "Please have a seat, Miss."

Rey sat in the chair as Ben pulled one up next to her, not letting her panic show as the restraints clicked around her wrists and forehead.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. I am one of the members of the Defenders of Peace, like Ben Solo here. Before we begin your evaluation, I would like you to state your name and previous ones if you have any."

Rey cleared her throat." Well, I was born Rey Palpatine," she spoke the name as if it were garbage in her mouth. "But I didn't know that for half of my life so I only went by Rey for a very long time. After that it was Rey Skywalker by choice, and if you please, I'd like to change my name once more."

"And what would that be to?"

"Solo. Rey Solo."

She didn't have to look over at Ben to know how immensely pleased he was.

"Alright, Rey Solo, one more question. What are your intentions once you enter Al Sed Dur?"

Rey contemplated for a bit. "To join my new family and become Ben Solo's wife."

She could sense that Ben was having trouble remaining stoic after her second answer.

Master Jinn pursed his mustached lips. "We'll see if you're lying or not."

 _"Brace yourself."_ Ben said inside her mind right as room went black and a screen appeared before them.

But nothing could have prepared her for seeing what she was about to see.

Rey felt as though she had been sucker-punched in the gut as she saw her infant self in her mother's arms.

_Her mother._

She had practically forgotten what she had looked like. With her brown hair up in three buns, her high cheekbones, and her squared jaw, Rey couldn't help but see the striking resemblance she had to her mother, minus the green eyes. Now that her father had appeared, Rey could see that she had his hazel eyes.

Rey couldn't help but let a few tears fall as she saw how happy the three of them had looked then.

If only they had known how short-lived their life together had been.

Then, Rey saw the same memory that had plagued her dreams for most of her life.

She watched as her four-year-old self screamed and thrashed against the arms of Unkar Plutt. A ship was seen flying into space in the distance.

_"Come back! Come back!"_

Then she was dragged off by the Crolute through the course, irritating sand.

Rey watched as she did the same thing everyday for fifteen years.

She would climb massive pieces of destroyed ships from Empirical Times to scavenge for parts, and turn what she found in for portions.

Then she would go home to her broken down AT-AT walker, etch another tick mark on the wall, and eat her dinner alone with her Rebel pilot doll underneath the stars.

Some nights she was so lonely that she couldn't help but cry, cry until she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Rey felt a massive tear in her heart. She thought it was the pain from having her old wound reopened, until she realized it wasn't her pain she was feeling.

It was _Ben's_.

He was hurting because he _hated_ knowing that she had gone through that intense loneliness, a feeling he knew so well.

Ben hated knowing that she had been made to feel unwanted and unloved for so long, when all he had ever wanted to make her feel was the opposite.

He reached over and squeezed her hand, for both of their sakes.

The two of them watched as Rey was dragged into the fight of the Resistance versus the First Order and experienced her awakening in the Force.

They had a few laughs at Ben's earlier attempts at flirting, and Rey's obliviousness to all of it.

Soon enough, they were entering the years after the end of the war.

Rey could tell it was hard for Ben to watch her have to take care of Zander and herself without him, to see all of the late nights she spent feeding and changing diapers alone.

She knew how much he wished that he could have done more for them, but it wasn't like Ben could have helped it. Him being present with them when he could had been enough for their little family.

The lights came back on and Rey let go of his hand.

Master Jinn turned to face them. "Well, Rey, it sounds like this is something you've been waiting for a long time."

"Yes, sir."

"I am going to make you the same offer I made to your soon-to-be husband. Seeing your strong capabilities in the Force, I think you would make a fine addition to the Defenders of Peace."

Rey smiled. "I'll think about it."

He exchanged it. "The two of you are free to go."

The restraints on the chair unlatched and Rey followed Ben out to the garage.

Once they reached the speeder bike, Ben grabbed Rey and hugged her tightly.

"I love you, Rey."

"I know, Ben." She giggled against his chest. "And I love you too."

"When I called you nothing that day on the Supremacy, I didn't mean it that way."

" _I_ _know, Ben._ You were trying to express your feelings for the first time in a long time that wasn't by slashing things out in anger. _Of course_ you had trouble finding the words."

"I'm not done yet." He grabbed one of her hands.

"What I was trying to say was that everything I had worked for _meant nothing_ if I didn't have you with me. And once you left, it all felt like _nothing_. _I_ _am nothing_ without you."

Rey grinned as she patted his chest. "That's very sweet Ben, but you need to save _something_ to say for our wedding day."

The corners of his lips twitched, remembering he had said something similar to her not too long ago.

"Oh I could go on _forever_ about-"

"But your mom would probably kill us, so let's _go!_ "

Ben chuckled as he picked her up and placed her on the speeder bike before they sped off.

They drove through the country before reaching Han and Leia's home.

Ben parked in the dirt before helping Rey get off the speeder bike.

"Stay close to me."

Rey smirked. "Ben, you're going to have to share me with other people from now on, so get used to it."

He knitted his eyebrows together. "Not all the time. I'm going to be your husband, so I get first dibs."

She rolled her eyes as Ben took her hand and led her to the door.

No one was in the living room when they entered.

"Where is everyone?"

"Probably in the kitchen."

Rey followed him down a hallway where she could hear voices coming from.

"Han! What did I say about not touching anything?" She heard Leia scold.

"Not until Rey gets here, but I'm starving Leia!" Han complained.

"I know, but we need to save some for Rey."

"Save what for Rey?"

She decided at that moment to reveal herself.

Han, Leia, and Luke, all about thirty years younger than she remembered them, stood gawking at her in the kitchen with two other people Rey didn't recognize.

"Rey!"

They all started toward her, but Ben pulled her back into his arms protectively.

"One at a time, please. I just got Rey today, and would like to keep her in one piece."

He reluctantly released her from his hold and Rey goes to greet each one of them with a hug, including Chewbacca, who had entered the room after them.

Ben watched her from behind, and she could feel his happiness at her fitting right in with his family.

No, it was _their_ family now.

After all of her dreaming and longing, Rey was finally getting to be surrounded by family whom she called her own.

She had never felt more loved and accepted anywhere when she was alive than in this room now.

The feeling almost made her want to start crying again.

Ben guided her over to a man with wavy brown hair and a thin scar running down his temple and a woman with kind, dark eyes.

"Rey, these are my grandparents; Anakin Skywalker and Padmè Amidala."

The man shook her hand. "The girl we've heard so much about."

"Pleased to finally meet you, Rey." The woman smiled at her.

Rey grinned at them.

Leia grabbed her elbow.

"There's plenty of food, Rey. Take some before Chewie and that scruffy looking nerf herder eat more than their share."

She narrowed her eyes at Han from across the room, who was already filling up his plate.

His eyebrows knitted together. "Hey, who are you calling scruffy?" He nudged Ben, who was next to him.

Ben simply looked ahead at Rey, and she felt the corners of her mouth tug.

After getting herself a bowl of stew, Rey went out into the living room to join the rest of the family.

Ben was sitting on the end of the couch with the two other couples, while Luke and Chewbacca sat in chairs across from the sofa.

All of the spots were taken.

Her attention was caught by Ben setting his empty plate on the floor.

"Are you seriously finished already?"

He looked up at her, a light in his dark eyes and a slight smirk on his face.

"I am. All of today's excitement really made me work up an appetite."

Rey shook her head and exchanged his smirk.

Leia noticed her presence. "Oh, we don't have a chair for Rey!"

"That's no problem, Leia. Ben can be my chair." She settled down in his lap.

A few looks and stares were exchanged, and Rey began to feel self-conscious.

 _"I'm not embarrassing you right now, am I?"_ She asked Ben through their bond.

 _"Not at all."_ He replied before wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer, to show he meant it.

"So, Rey." Luke started. "I know you just got here, but do you have any thoughts on what type of occupation you'd like to have?"

Rey swallowed a spoonful of stew. "Well, I don't really know."

It was hard for her to think straight with Ben's chin resting on her shoulder.

"The only job I knew about was being a Defender of Peace, because of Ben, and that was offered to me not too long ago. What do you all do?"

Leia had an arm draped over Han's shoulder. "Luke and my father are also members of the Defenders of Peace. Han is an engineer, though he and Chewie do a bit of flying here and there. My mother and I are members of the Intergalactic Senate, Al Sed Dur representatives. Ben would have made a good senator, but he turned the offer down."

"I'm done with having any sort of position of power." Ben looked up at Rey. "It means nothing to me now."

Rey stared ahead at the wall, unable to hide the slow grin easing onto her face.

The group chatted for a while until it looked like night was about to fall.

Soon enough, only Ben and Rey were left with his parents.

"Well, I think it's time for Rey and I to head home now."

Ben's legs shifted underneath her, and Rey stood up to allow him to move.

"No, Rey can't leave yet!" Leia was on her feet.

"Remember Ben, you left her stuff to stay the night with us so you don't see her before the wedding tomorrow, and so that your grandmother and I can get her ready."

"That's right." Ben pursed his lips.

Rey placed a hand on his forearm. "It's alright. I'll say goodbye to you at the door."

Ben nodded, then went to hug his mother. He was patted on the back by his father before he took Rey's hand and walked over to the door.

"I'll call on you when I go to bed." She spoke in low tones.

Ben was puzzled.

"What?" He copied her tone.

Rey shot him a look. " _The_ _bond._ I'm going to use the bond once I go to the guest bedroom so we can finally be alone."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Then I'll see you later."

Ben winked as he slipped through the doors.

Rey was beaming as she re-entered the living room.   
Both Han and Leia had smug expressions on their faces.

She lifted an eyebrow at the group. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing's funny. It's just-" Leia found herself getting choked up.

Han continued for her. "We've never seen him look so _happy_."

Rey felt a warmth in her chest. "Really?"

He nodded. "It's like you bring it out in him."

She grinned. "Well, I should probably get going to bed and prepare for the big day tomorrow. Thank you so much for your hospitality."

"Thank _you_ for bringing our boy back to us." Leia smiled at her. "We are so thrilled to have you as part of our family."

Rey was unable to speak as she went to give the two of them hugs.

Once she reached the guest bedroom, she shut the door and removed her boots. Rey unlatched her belt and took off the wraps across her chest so that she was only wearing her tunic and threadbare pants.

Ben's voice spoke to her through their bond. _"Are you ready for me?"_

Rey grinned to herself. _"Yes. Come on over."_

She unrolled the wraps along her arms as a familiar presence entered the room.

Rey looked up to see Ben sitting on the guest bed, tugging off his boots as he watched her.

"Hello again."

He smiled at her as she approached him, tilting his head up to receive her kiss. Lips still locked, Ben pulled Rey onto his lap so that she was straddling him.

"I missed you." She sighed between kisses, her hands running through his hair.

"I can tell." He smirked. "And I missed you too."

Rey pushed his chest so that Ben was lying down on the bed and proceeded to kiss him harder. Their lips moved in sync until Ben broke away, gasping for air.

"Rey, as much as I would love to continue this, I don't really think I want our first time to be in my parents' guest bedroom."

"Right."

Rey moved off his chest to sit on the bed next to him, giggling at herself for not thinking.

Ben shook his head as he sat up, marveling at her.

A glint of something shiny drew her attention to her hand.

Rey gasped.

Alarmed, Ben turned to her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's, it's the wire. It came with me."

She lifted her hand up for him to see, and sure enough, the ring he had made for her ten years ago was on her finger.

Ben took her hand and brushed his lips against her finger. The two of them stared at each other for a while until he cleared his throat.

"Well I should probably let you rest-"

"No, don't leave!" She grabbed his arm as he moved to get off the bed.

"I- I don't want to be alone with my thoughts tonight."

He simply nodded, and Rey could feel through their bond that his first night on Al Sed Dur had been one he didn't want her to experience.

Ben lowered himself back onto the bed, extending an arm for Rey. She laid down wrapped in it and rested her head on his chest.

Memories flooded her of all the nights she had to spend alone, waiting for her family to come back and to be reunited with Ben.

A few silent tears slipped down her face and Ben held her tighter, reassuring Rey that things were going to be different from now on.


	23. Yours Unconditionally

_Rey_

" _Rey._ "

A deep voice woke her out of her slumber. She wearily opened her eyes to see Ben's dark eyes hovering over her.

"I have to go now, but I'll see you soon." He vanished and Rey crashed again.

A few hours later, she sat up in bed, blinking the sleep out of her hazel eyes.

"Zander, have you left yet?" Rey called out half-mindedly.

Only after she assessed her surroundings was when Rey remembered that she was in Han and Leia's guest bedroom, not at the little house on Endor that she grew to call home.

Rey felt a pang of homesickness in her heart as she thought of her son and what he was doing at the moment.

She would have to go visit him soon, she thought to herself.

Then she realized something.

Today was her wedding day, the day she and Ben had been planning and dreaming about since he had proposed ten years ago.

Rey grinned goofily to herself as she slid off the bed and walked into the kitchen.

Han was at the table, sipping on some coffee. "Morning, Rey."

Leia looked up from her bowl of oatmeal and smiled warmly at her. "Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I have before." Rey beamed.

"Wonderful! There's some oatmeal on the counter if you want to fix yourself some. My mother should be here soon to help get you all fancy for your big day."

Rey nodded as she went and got herself breakfast before sitting down at the table with them.

Not long after, Padmè showed up with many various-sized bags.

Han pushed himself back from the table with his hands up, saying that it was his cue to leave and go help Ben. He grabbed his own big bag and left.

The first thing on the getting ready agenda was for Rey to shower and wash her hair. She scrubbed her body with soap before taking a razor and shaved the hair off her arms and legs.

Once she was all dried off, Rey put on one of Leia's robes and let the women give her a facial. She let her eyes rest underneath the cucumbers as the two women polished her nails.

After the scrub was washed off her face, they went to work putting on her makeup and curling her hair.

Rey, having never worn makeup in her life, didn't have much to suggest.

"Just keep it simple. I want Ben to recognize me still."

Both Padmè and Leia chuckled as they went to grab her dress from the closet.

Rey couldn't help but gasp when they pulled the cover off of it. It was sleeveless, pure white silk, swooping down into a low-cut neckline. There was no back to it, the mermaid shape nicely flattering her feminine curves.

Ben had chosen very well.

After Rey put it on, she turned around.

Her lips parted in surprise.

She had never seen herself look so _dazzling_. The way her makeup enhanced her natural beauty, how her curled brown hair, half of it pinned back and falling on her shoulders, beautifully contrasted the snow-whiteness of her dress; it was all new to her.

She thought of Ben.

He had seen her at her ugliest and her worst points when she was alive.

He had heard her guttural cries in childbirth, and heard her call him demoralizing names.

He had watched her die, had seen her corpse, _twice_.

Rey wanted to look beautiful for Ben for a change, and was glad she was finally getting the chance.

"Rey?" Leia's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"The speeder's good to go. Ready to meet your groom?"

Rey grinned and the two of them set off.

They arrived on a grassy hillside in front of a large white canopy tent.

Leia turned to her. "Well, I should go take my seat, dear. How are you feeling? Nervous?"

Rey shook her head. "Not at all."

"Good." She smiled. "See you soon, sweetheart."

Leia planted a kiss on her cheek and headed into the canopy.

Rey took a deep breath. She could make out Ben's outline inside the tent, as well as Anakin's next to him.

She squared her shoulders, adjusted the straps of her dress, and pulled back the curtain of tent to step inside.

All of the Skywalkers were sitting down on either sides of the aisle, but Rey didn't notice them.

Not when Ben was in front of her.

He was wearing all black dress clothes that complimented his toned physique well, his dark hair pushed back from his face.

Rey had never seen him look _so damn good_.

She got butterflies in her chest just from staring at him.

And yet, he was all her's.

Ben had the widest grin on his face, the twinkle in his black eyes drawing her closer to him as if they were tractor beams and she was a ship needing to land.

Rey finally reached Ben at the end of the aisle. She took both of his hands and stood across from him as Anakin began to speak.

_"Damn, sweetheart."_

_"Do I look alright?"_

She sensed him holding back an eyeroll.

_"Alright? You look like a work of art, a masterpiece. Nothing in any galaxy, dead or alive, can ever compare to you. Ever."_

Rey felt her cheeks grow warm as Ben winked at her.

Anakin cleared his throat. "Uh, Rey, did you hear me?"

She shook her head and stared at him with a puzzled expression. "I'm sorry, what?"

The group laughed and Rey shot a look at Ben to tell him to stop distracting her. He simply smirked.

Anakin chuckled. "It's time for your vows."

Rey took a deep breath as she looked deep into Ben's eyes.

"Ben, I never would have guessed from the moment that we met that we would have gone on such a journey together." More laughs came.

"But now after everything that we've been through together, I can honestly say that I've never been happier because of you. I never believed that anyone could ever love me or could ever be my family, and yet you've done both. You are caring and compassionate, so strong and loyal too. You treat me and Zander so well, and you are very much proof that your past does not define you. I promise to listen when you choose to speak, to comfort you when needed, to always have your back, and to be yours unconditionally. I love you, Benjamin Solo."

A few sniffles came from their guests, mostly Leia. Ben was beaming at her, his love for her evident in his dark eyes.

"Rey, my beautiful, darling Rey. I knew from the moment that I laid eyes on you that I wanted you. Of course," He looked down sheepishly. "That had something to do with a droid and a map, but after seeing inside your head, I was very intrigued to find ways to see you and get to know you better."

At this, Rey couldn't help but giggle, and Ben flashed her an embarrassed smile.

"You are so brave, strong, and capable, and understanding and sweet at the same time. You are the other half of my Dyad, and complete me so well. It is admirable how compassionate you are and the ability you have to see the good in everyone, including someone like me who doesn't deserve this. I promise to take care of you, to hold you when you're sad, to be your forever lover and companion, and to always stay the belonging that you've sought. I love you so much Rey, and I'm never going to stop loving you."

At this point, Rey couldn't help but let a few tears slip as she gazed at Ben, secretly hoping that Anakin would hurry up so she could kiss her husband.

Anakin looked at the guests. "The rings, please." Han stood up and handed them to him.

"Rey, do you take Ben to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

She beamed. "I do."

He handed Ben a ring with a big, flashy diamond. Ben slipped it onto her finger. Tiny hooks emerged from it and clipped onto the wire ring, connecting it to make one ring.

"Ben, do you take Rey to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Ben smiled at her. "I do."

Anakin handed Rey an obsidian band and she placed it on his finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Solo. Ben, you may kiss your bride."

"Finally!" Ben exclaimed as he pulled Rey to him. She grinned as she snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him, pressing her lips softly to his.

They pulled away, Ben gazing into her eyes before he looped his arm through her's and the two of them ran out of the tent into the forest.

Once they were far enough, he backed her against a tree and started to kiss her again. Rey pulled him closer, allowing his tongue to slip into her mouth. She sighed against his lips as his hands rubbed her back. Ben moved to her neck, placing a small trail of kisses.

"Ben." She paused, but was met with more kisses from him.

"Ben." Still no answer.

" _Ben_." Rey had to grab his face to get him to stop.

He looked a little disappointed. "Did you not like that?"

"No, no I enjoyed it very much. That's not why I interrupted you." She stammered.

"It's just that we have to get back to the tent soon for dinner, and I would like to visit Zander before that. I think he deserves to see us together like this."

Ben nodded as he took her hand. "Then let's go."

They were met with the forest of Endor behind Rey's former home.

Zander was kneeling before them in front of a shallow hole in the dirt. Out of a knapsack he pulled out Rey's wraps and Ben's tunic, the clothes both of them had died in.

He sobbed quietly as he placed the clothing in a box before surrendering it to the hole.

Rey squeezed Ben's hand as they exchanged pained looks.

Zander placed an engraved stone over the spot.

"I know what I have to do, and though I don't know if I have the strength to do it, I _will_ finish what you both started." He muttered to himself, pausing to take a glance at the saber attached to his belt.

Sensing his parents' presences, he looked up and stood.

A slow, bittersweet smile spread across his face as he noticed that they were dressed in their wedding attire.

"Zander?" A female voice called from towards the house.

His shoulders straightened a bit. "That's Sienna calling. I better go."

Ben nodded. "We'll see you again, son."

Rey attempted a strained smile. "We love you, Zander."

Zander's smile warmed. "I know."

The two of them faded away and Ben and Rey were back in the forest outside the wedding tent.

Ben exhaled. "Well, I guess we better get heading back."

Rey nodded, though she frowned as she studied his face. "You have some of my lipstick on you."

" _Some_? Not _all_ of it? Guess I didn't do my job then." He smirked as he began to kiss her.

Rey giggled as she pushed him away. "You are too easily distracted, Mr. Solo."

"Kind of hard not to be when I'm staring at you, Mrs. Solo."

She blushed as the two of them walked back to the tent and sat down to their wedding feast.

After food had been eaten and toasts had been made, it was finally time for Ben to take Rey to her new home. They hopped onto his bike and they sped off into the country.

He helped her off once they made it into the garage. "I have a surprise for you."

"Oh Ben, you didn't need to-"

"This is just the first of many that I've been planning for a long time." Smiling, he led Rey to a large shape covered in a tarp.

Ben whipped off the tarp, revealing a shiny red landcruiser.

"All yours, baby."

Rey gaped at him.

"Have I told you recently how much I love you?"

He chuckled. "Come on, there's plenty more for me to show you."

She followed him as he showed her the kitchen, living room, and guest bedroom.

Ben took her into their room and presented her the closet that he had spent several of her living years filling with clothes for her.

When they stepped out, Ben leaned towards her, but Rey put her palms against his chest.

"Not just yet, Ben. I would like to change out of my dress so it won't get ruined. You should change too."

He nodded, though Rey could sense his slight disappointment as she retrieved some pajamas from one of her drawers.

"Patience, young Padawan." She smirked from the doorway of the master bathroom. "Your time will come soon enough."

Ben rolled his eyes as she closed the door, but not locked it.

Rey slipped out of her fancy dress and put on a black tank top and shorts.

She walked over to the sink and found some makeup wipes already waiting for her. Rey smiled to herself at Ben's thoughtfulness.

"Rey? Okay if I come in now?"

"Sure, Ben."

He walked into the bathroom wearing only his black boxer shorts.

Rey felt her cheeks begin to burn, and Ben smirked as he came to the sink next to her's, knowing fully well the effect he had on her.

That was when Rey remembered how well she affected _him_.

Making sure Ben was watching her, she stripped off her shorts so that she was only in her tank top and underwear.

Rey bent over to place them on the ground, angling her rear to face him.

The tips of Ben's ears turned pink and it was Rey's turn to smirk as she turned back to the mirror.

When she finished brushing her teeth and washing her face, Rey walked behind Ben and wrapped her arms around his muscular torso.

She rested her head against his toned shoulder blade and sighed as he took her small hands in his much larger ones.

"Thank you for today. It was perfect."

He smiled. "I'm glad you liked it."

Rey let go of him to walk in front of the counter. She flattened her palms against his bare chest.

"It was even more special to me because of all the time you spent planning it. Thank you."

Ben leaned down and met her lips. Rey slid her arms up to his neck as she pulled him tighter, their lips moving in sync. His tongue tapped her lips and she parted them to allow him entry. Rey kissed him harder as her fingers intertwined in his wavy black hair. Ben moved his hands down to her waist and picked her up, setting her on the counter.

Breathless, Rey was the first to pull away. "Ben." She said sheepishly. "I've never done this before."

Ben looked down at the floor, then back at her. "Neither have I."

" _What_?" Rey was a mix of surprised and relieved. "I thought you had."

He shook his head. "When I was sent to the Jedi Academy, Luke instructed us to be celibate. Probably because he couldn't get a girlfriend himself." Ben smirked and Rey giggled.

"Then, when I was training under Snoke, I was more concerned about growing more powerful in the Dark Side of the Force and found women to be an unnecessary distraction. And after that I spent my later days chasing after you across the galaxy."

"I was hard to find." Rey grinned smugly.

"But not too hard to get rid of. " Ben smirked as he drew her back to him, pausing to plant kisses along her neckline.

Rey wrapped her legs around his waist and allowed a tiny moan to escape her lips.

Ben, taking this as a cue, picked her up once more and started to carry her into their bedroom.

Rey couldn't help but grin again as she knew that they both knew there was no where else she'd rather be right now.


	24. Mine

_Rey_

Rey blinked her large hazel eyes open and was met with the hazy gray ceiling, strips of light from the blinds softly illuminating the room.

Confused to where she was, she tried to sit up but felt a weight pressing against her small form.

She looked down to find Ben asleep on top of her, his head resting on her chest and his big muscles lax against her body.

 _That's_ when she remembered what had happened between the two of them the night before.

 _Twice_.

Rey grinned sleepily as she took a look at her husband's face.

Ben looked incredibly adorable and handsome to her while he slept, his plump lips in a slight pout and his cheek squished up on her collarbone.

Pieces of dark hair fell into his long eyelashes, and Rey had to resist the urge to brush it back off his forehead.

But she did it anyway.

Ben squinted up at her, a groggy smile crossing his lips as he turned his face into Rey's chest.

He stretched his muscles as he gathered her into his arms, causing Rey to giggle while she was moved with his limbs.

Ben began to place kisses in the crook of her arm, his lips sliding up to her shoulder and grazing the slope of her neck. He kissed her throat, causing Rey to shudder involuntarily, and worked his way to her jaw, finding the sweet spot behind her ear he had discovered the night before.

She sighed, thinking if there was a moment she could die again, it would be from the happiness she was experiencing right now.

Ben pulled up and gazed at her warmly with his dark eyes. "Morning, sweetheart."

"Good morning, my hunk." Rey smiled up at him as she glanced at his arms on either side of her like loaded ballistas.

Ben smirked as he followed her gaze. "Did you sleep well?"

"When I did get to sleep it was good." Rey's eyes sparkled mischievously as his smirk deepened.

"This is the nicest bed I've ever had. The one I had when I was alive was barely half the size of this."

His expression darkened a bit as he remembered the little twin sized bed Rey had owned in her former life.

Rey noticed his mood dampen and moved her hands to his upper back, drawing concentric circles with her fingers as a means to change the subject.

Ben gazed at his Rey of sunshine as he tilted her chin up with a finger. She slid her hands up to his neck and smashed his lips into hers. His toned arms wrapped underneath her shoulders as Rey gripped his hair in her hands, pulling him closer. Their lips pushed and pulled, fighting for dominance as they grabbed at each other.

Ben pulled away from their passionate kissing first. "Are you hungry?"

"You bet I am." Rey smirked as she jerked his face roughly back to her.

He leaned away from her again, trying not to laugh. "No, I mean breakfast hungry."

"Nope." She replied quickly and went back to kissing her husband, but were interrupted by the growling of her stomach.

"Traitor." Rey grumbled as Ben smirked.

"I'll grab us some food. Stay here."

He peeled himself off of her and grabbed his boxers from off the floor, sliding them on.

Rey suddenly felt cold from the absence of Ben's body warmth, and formed a cocoon with the bedsheets.

Ben smiled and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Rey laid there for a good ten minutes, already missing his body and wondering what was taking him so long.

She slid off the bed and stumbled towards the closet, feeling a sudden need to clothe herself.

Rey looked around at all the tops, pants, and dresses her husband had picked out for her, and she smiled.

She went to grab a gray tank top off the hanger, when she unmeaningfully brushed her fingers against one of Ben's black t-shirts.

It felt so warm and cozy, and when she sniffed it, it was scented of him.

Rey pulled it over her head, the black material hanging off her shoulders and hitting her mid thigh.

She walked across the cool floor and climbed back into bed to wait for Ben, folding her legs into a crossed position as she sat down.

He entered the room two minutes later with full trays in both arms.

"Sorry for the wait, but-" Ben's voice trailed off as his dark eyes landed on her body. "Are you wearing one of my shirts?"

"Oh this is _your_ shirt?" Rey feigned innocence. "I thought the whole closet was mine." She batted her eyelashes, making Ben flustered.

"If the whole closet is yours, then what am I supposed to wear?" He asked, amused.

"Nothing, like I would prefer you to." Rey teased, sensing Ben's heart quicken.

Giving him a break from her flirting, she turned her attention to the trays. "What's that you got there?"

"Breakfast." He walked over to her side of the bed and placed a tray on her lap.

"Thank you." She tilted her head and placed a kiss on his bicep. "You can have the shirt back later."

"Keep it." Ben smiled. "I like it better with you in it anyway."

Rey returned the smile and looked down at her plate.

He had brought her eggs benedict with strips of bacon and a side of fruit. There was a glass of water and a mug of tea.

She took a few bites of the eggs benedict and almost had to close her eyes.

Never in her former life had she got the pleasure of eating something so delicious and mouthwatering.

Ben was eyeing her carefully as he ate his own breakfast. "Do you like it?"

" _Like it?_ " Rey's eyes lit up. "This is _incredible_! I've never eaten anything as good as this before, ever! Where did you find this? At a market?"

The tips of his ears turned pink. "I made this."

Her mouth fell open. " _You_ did? How, where did you learn to cook like this?"

"I asked my mother to teach me." Ben blushed. "I wanted to surprise you when you got here."

Rey grinned at him. "Oh Ben, that's so sweet! No one has ever done anything like that for me before."

"I know, that's why I did it." His face grew serious as he took her hand.

"Rey, I promised you in our vows yesterday that I would take care of you because I know that you've always had to fend for yourself. You had to take care of yourself to survive, and then you ended up being the one to take care of other people; Zander, Finn, Luke. _Me_. I knew though that once you arrived, it was my turn to care for you. The house, the cruiser, the closet, and breakfast, all little things to show you that I meant my promise, that you'd never have to scavenge _anything_ _again_ now that I have you. You deserved to be spoiled and have a good afterlife, Rey, and I'm going to do everything I reasonably can to make that happen for you."

Rey felt her eyes form into little hearts as she stared at him with an emotional gaze, unable to speak.

Ben used the Force to move their trays onto their nightstands, waiting for her response.

She snapped out of her trance and tackled him, attacking him with kisses all over his body.

Ben simply chuckled, allowing Rey to do whatever she pleased with him.


	25. Thinking

_Ben_

The late afternoon seemed to drag for Ben at the northern headquarters of the Defenders of Peace.

He leaned back in his chair as he stirred his coffee, yawning every so often.

His mind wandered to Rey, who was somewhere at the western headquarters, and he groaned.

Ben wished that they would be put on the same base rotation, but had given up hope that it would ever happen. It would need to take something out of the ordinary to occur.

Besides, they both knew that it would be impossible for them _not_ to distract each other.

He remembered wistfully the interaction between them only hours ago.

_Ben had just finished eating breakfast after getting ready for work, and went into their bedroom to tell Rey goodbye before he set off._

_She was still asleep, her back to him as he hovered over her side of the bed._

_"Rey." He rubbed her shoulders. "Rey, I've got to go now. You should be up too."_

_A grunt came from her as she arched her back._

_Rey flipped on her other side to face Ben, pulling him on top of her._

_Ben chuckled as he showed no attempts of resisting. "Sneaky little wife."_

_Rey giggled into his neck and tightened her hold. "Let's just stay in bed today. I don't want to do anything but cuddle."_

_"Me too baby, but we've got work to do." She gave him a pouty lip and Ben almost caved._

_"I promise you though, when we get back, I'll give you all the cuddles you want. And then some. Sound good?"_

_Rey kissed his lips quickly and sweetly. "I still don't like being away from you for so long."_

_"Me neither, sweetheart." Ben cupped her cheek._

_"It's nothing compared to how it used to be though, the old days where we were on separate sides. No matter how much we fought, I always hated watching you leave."_

_"I know, that's why I did it." She smirked. "So you'd miss me."_

Ben took another swig of his coffee as he sat missing his wife.

They had been married for what would have been several living years, the two of them insanely happier than they had ever been before.

Every day Ben found himself falling more in love with Rey, just when he thought he couldn't love her more.

She was changing him in ways he never knew would be possible.

Rey turned him into a hugger and a cuddler; she made him want to be affectionate and have all of her's.

Ben was also rubbing off on her, as she had started to become more patient and thoughtful.

He had also taken it upon himself to teach her how to cook, something Rey had been stubborn about in the beginning.

_"I know how to cook, Benjamin." She huffed._

_"I've been doing that for myself for a long time. Zander too, who happened to like my food!"_

_"Really." He gave her an amused smirk. "That doesn't sound like the stories he told me."_

_Rey crossed her arms across her chest. "What kind of stories?"_

_"Not a lot really." Ben looked away, suddenly feeling guilty for bringing that up._

_"The only thing I remember was him being traumatized by a casserole."_

_"Oh." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she flushed embarrassedly. "Yeah, that was bad."_

Rey had then resigned and Ben made it up to her by wrapping his arms around her while he showed her the knife techniques his mother had taught him.

That lesson ended very shortly as the two of them found themselves very distracted by the other's tongue.

Ben loved being married to her.

He loved waking up to her every morning and going home to her every night.

It almost scared him how easily she could turn him on and without lifting a single finger.

Hell, just the way she said his name, her lips pressing slightly together to make the soft "b" sound, was enough to give him goosebumps.

Her body was his safe haven, and his was her kingdom.

"Solo." A woman's voice behind him drew him out of his thoughts. "You are needed to question in room A-5."

"Got it. Thanks, Urso."

She nodded and left the room.

Ben got up and headed into holding rooms.

The sight he was met with caused his lungs to constrict.

Rey's parents were sitting in the questioning chairs.

Heart pounding in his chest, Ben remained his composure as he followed protocol and walked to the other side of the table.

"Hello, my name is Ben Solo. I am one of the members of the Defenders of Peace. Before we begin your evaluation, I would like you to state your names and previous ones if you have any."

Her father spoke. "My name is Keldo Palpatine, and this is my wife, Kirra Palpatine."

"We've come from New Alderaan, in hopes of finding our daughter." Rey's mother chimed in.

"Her name is Rey. It's been a long time since we'd seen her, but when we last did, she had brown hair and hazel eyes. Do you know of her?"

_Oh, did he know her._

Ben swallowed as he tried to think quickly.

Rey was happy for the first time. She had moved on from waiting for her parents to come back, and had embraced the new family he had given her.

There was a good chance that Rey didn't want to ever see them again, but there was also a good chance that she did.

Ben knew that it wasn't his decision to make for whether or not his wife wanted to reconnect with her parents, but decided that he should give her the privacy she needed to come to her own conclusion.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen her."

Their shoulders slumped and Ben almost felt guilty about lying to them, but he knew he was making the right decision.

He would let Rey make her own choice.

The questioning continued, and Ben gave the Palpatines their bag and key to their possibly temporary home.

Before he knew it, it was time to leave and go back to his wife.

Ben hopped onto his black speeder bike and drove home. He pulled off his beige uniform jacket and hung it up on the rack as he stepped through the door into the kitchen.

Rey was at the counter making dinner, still in her black tank top and uniform pants.

She gave him the grin that twisted his insides. "You're finally home."

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, sweetheart." He lumbered behind her, placing his hands on her waist.

She backed into his chest, craning her head up to look into his dark eyes.

"No, you're here now and that's all that matters." Rey replied softly as she bit her lip, something that drove Ben crazy.

He lowered his lips to her's, kissing her passionately. Rey ran her fingers through his hair as Ben wrapped his arms around her waist tighter.

Their lips finished. Rey turned around and pulled Ben to her. His face wandered to the top of her scalp, breathing in her scent.

"You know, I wish I had taken up your offer this morning and stayed home."

"Tough day?" She murmured against his broad chest.

"You could say that." He let go of her and turned his attention to where Rey had been at the counter.

"Do you need any help with dinner?"

Rey shot him a look, but didn't say anything.

She knew better than to press him if he wasn't ready to open up yet.

"It's all done. I was just about to make my plate."

Ben leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on her shoulder. "Thanks, baby."

They dished up on chicken, rice, and greens before sitting down at the table.

"So, what did you do today?" He squeezed her free hand as he took a bite of his salad.

Rey's hazel eyes lit up as they usually did when Ben asked her this question.

"Well, I was on scouts today with Tano."

"That sounds fun. Did anyone show up?"

"No, but we got to share stories about being a Jedi." She beamed.

"Ben, she is _so cool!_ I've never met another female Jedi before."

"Looks like my little badass found another badass to be badasses with." He smirked.

Rey punched his arm despite her blushing. "You think I'm a badass?"

"Well you certainly have kicked my ass many times, so I'd say you are."

"Don't forget that I own it too." She winked and Ben colored.

"Yes ma'am."

"Now are you going to quit stalling and tell me what happened at work today?"

Ben cleared his throat as he took her hand.

"Well, you're never going to believe it. I was finishing up my afternoon break and I was called in to do questioning."

"Who was it, Ben? Who did you see?" Rey searched his face imploringly.

He exhaled a shaky breath. "It was your parents. They came here looking for you, Rey."

She gaped at him as she dropped his hand and stood up.

Her mixed emotions of shock, hurt, anger, and sadness rolled on to him live waves.

Ben walked over to her small form hunched over the counter.

"I didn't tell them anything, I swear. I never said a word about us being married and knowing where you were. This is your decision, and I didn't want to make it for you."

He came up behind her and gently massaged her shoulders. "Rey, I hope you aren't mad at me."

She softened instantly at his touch.

"No, I'm not mad at you, Ben. You were just being a good husband and looking out for me. I guess I just have a lot of thinking to do."

Ben released a sigh of relief. "Now let's go back to eating. We both know you're in a better mood after you're full." He teased.

Later that night, Ben was getting ready for bed.

He had just finished washing his face, and was standing in the doorway, studying his wife.

Rey was sitting up in their bed and staring blankly at the wall ahead of her. She was wearing his shirt and her brown hair flowed freely against her shoulders, the way he liked it.

"I know that look." Ben walked over to his side of the bed.

Rey's eyes followed him, acknowledging his presence.

"You're thinking deeply." He plopped down next to her. "Anything I can do to help put your mind at ease?"

Rey scooched closer to him. "I've just been thinking about my parents. I think I might want to meet them, but I'm not sure. What do you think, baby?"

Ben leaned over and kissed her temple. "Well, a part of me doesn't think they deserve to see you like this. I did do their questioning, and I know they were trying to keep you safe, but there had to have been some other way to keep you from Palpatine and for your family to stay together."

He almost choked on his words as his raw emotion coursed through him.

"They hurt you by leaving you on that god-forsaken shithole of a planet. They made you feel worthless and inferior, when you are so far beyond-"

He was cut off by Rey pulling him into a tight hug.

She tucked her head underneath his chin as Ben wrapped his arms protectively around her small frame.

"I'm not quite finished yet, sweetheart." He let go of her and forced her to look at him.

"I of all people know how transformative a second chance can be. You're an angel and thought I was deserving of yours; so if you're sure that your parents are worthy enough too, then I think you should go for it."

Rey's hazel eyes shone as she gazed at her husband. "Thank you, Ben. That really helped me. I think- I think I want to meet them. It doesn't mean I forgive them yet, but I should at least try to give my parents a chance while they're here."

"I know where they're situated, so I'll try to locate them once we've got a plan."

" _We?_ " She raised an eyebrow teasingly.

"Yes, _we._ " Ben leaned forward to kiss her nose. Rey grabbed his bared shoulders, holding him in place.

"You didn't believe that I was going to let you do this alone, did you?"

Rey grinned as she kissed him softly. "I love you, Ben."

"I love you too, Rey." He smiled and returned the gesture.

"Now, I believe that I owe you some long awaited and much needed cuddle time."

"Yes, you do. It's very important and can't be put off any longer." She put on a tone of fake urgency.

Ben pulled Rey into his chest as she began to giggle. "As you wish, my queen."


	26. Together Ever Since

_Rey_

Rey nervously inspected herself in the bathroom mirror a final time.

Her fingers anxiously raked through slightly wavy, long brown hair before sliding down to her pronounced cheek bones.

Hazel eyes framed by thick lashes frowned back at her, the green in them seeming to pop due to the olive colored dress she was wearing.

The day after Rey had made up her mind about wanting to meet her parents, Ben had taken it upon himself to go to their location and reveal that their daughter _actually was_ on Al Sed Dur, despite what he had told them previously.

He apologized, saying that he only did it out of the best intentions for his wife to allow her to make her own choice, and a date was picked for the family to meet.

Ben had told Rey the entire encounter at dinner that night after they both had finished work. Rey was so pleased with her husband that she leapt on him, causing them to not have time to finish their meal before the two of them ran into their bedroom.

So here she was, in a dress Ben had bought her and waiting to meet her parents.

Rey came out of the bathroom and went to the kitchen.

Ben's back was to her as he stood over the stove in his navy blue dress shirt.

She hung back for a little, admiring the view.

Rey always thought he looked incredibly sexy when he was cooking, his muscles bulging at his sides and his dark eyes focused.

She could watch him like that forever.

And she knew she would.

Rey loved the afterlife they had. Ben was the sweetest, most caring husband to her.

He treated her amazingly with the utmost care and respect, spoiling her constantly with gifts and showering her with the affection the two of them had wanted so badly for so long.

There was no one else she wanted to spend eternity with.

Rey walked behind him and hugged his arm to her chest. "Smells delicious. Thank you for doing this, baby."

Ben smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head. "I'd do anything for you, my darling wife."

Rey beamed as she released his arm to turn off the stove. He turned around shortly and admired the way the green material fell against her hips.

"Do you like it?" She twirled for him.

"You look beautiful as always, my angel. I knew you'd look good in green." Ben pulled her into his arms before lowering his lips to her ear, his voice at a volume reserved only for her.

"But I _also_ know you'd look even greater _out_ of it."

Rey felt goosebumps crawl across her skin as she feigned a look of annoyance despite the warmth in her cheeks, before sliding her arms up to his neck.

"You're a scoundrel, Ben Solo."

"That's why you like me. There aren't enough scoundrels in your afterlife."

Rey's hazel eyes glittered mischievously. " _I_ happen to like _nice_ men."

"I'm a nice man." He grinned slyly as his face inched nearer to her's.

Their lips were so close she could feel his breath warming her skin.

She smirked indignantly. "No you're not, you're-"

Ben met her _hard_ , crushing his lips against hers as they played a game of tug of war for dominance. Rey bit gently down on his lower lip, and their tongues began to battle. In one swift motion, Ben's hands swept under her ass, picked her up, and placed her on the counter. She gripped his hair in between her fingers as their warm lips continued to push and pull. Ben's hands traveled down her body, stopping to grab the hem of her dress.

Panting, Rey broke away to block his wandering fingers. "Ben, my parents are coming soon. We can't do this right now."

"I know, just figured you could use a distraction, considering how much you enjoy them." Ben smirked.

"Your distractions are usually welcome ones, just not during this moment." She leaned forward and kissed his nose.

"I might be needing one after this is over, though."

His lust instantly vanished and was replaced with concern. "Are you doing okay?"

Rey shrugged. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time, there's just a lot of mixed emotions that come with it."

"I kinda know how you're feeling, sweetheart. Having to see my parents and reconnect with them again, after all the pain I'd inflicted them with and the guilt I'd been carrying, was one of the most terrifying things I've had to do since I came here. Looking back now though, I'm so glad I did it and that they're in my afterlife."

Ben rubbed her back comfortingly. "Meeting your parents doesn't mean you have to love them instantly or forget everything that happened in your childhood. They'll be coming onto our turf for dinner, so if something happens, we can kick them out. And if you end up liking them, then that's great. We could reconnect with them again if you wanted to. But if you end up hating them, then you never have to see them ever again."

Rey's arms wrapped around him tighter in a hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you, my love."

"You don't have to." Ben nuzzled her neck.

"No matter what ends up happening, just remember that you have a family now."

He moved his head so that their foreheads were resting against each other.

Rey closed her eyes to savor the moment, the calm before the storm, as she drew circles on his shoulder blades while Ben rocked her gently.

Just when she thought she was going to fall asleep, he spoke again.

"Rey?"

"Yes, Ben?" She mumbled.

"Do you think we can avoid talking about Kylo Ren with your parents?"

At this, Rey opened her eyes. "Of course. I actually realized something the other day. You know how I was around four when they left?"

He gave her a nod, confused at where she was heading.

Rey continued.

"Well, that means _you_ would have been around thirteen or fourteen, so you would have been training with Luke; and _that means_ -"

She widened her large hazel eyes at Ben, hoping he'd come to the conclusion himself.

He shifted a bit in her arms. "Kylo Ren didn't exist yet, so they wouldn't know who he was. They would only know Snoke and the First Order."

Ben exhaled in relief and Rey smiled at him.

Just then, a knock sounded from the door. The couple exchanged looks.

"I guess we better go let our guests in."

He gave her an encouraging smile and one last peck before lifting her off the counter.

Rey walked slowly behind him, her insides beginning to freeze over.

Nagging voices swarmed her thoughts.

_What if they hate me?_

_What if they take one look at me and decide that they don't want to meet me?_

_They abandoned me, left me all alone when I was just a kid, probably for good reason._

_What if-_

_"Rey."_ Ben's deep voice cut through, silencing her worries.

_"They would be the biggest fools to hate someone as incredible as you. And please stop beating yourself up. That's my wife you're talking about. Plus, you're giving me a major headache."_

That got a laugh out of Rey and Ben shot her a partially amused look, before he turned around to open the door.

She waited, unable to see what her parents looked like from where she was standing.

"Mr. and Mrs. Palpatine, thank you for coming." Ben greeted. "Come inside, and I'll introduce you to Rey."

Rey heard the creaking of the door and the following of footsteps to where she was waiting.

Ben appeared and gave her a reassuring nod as he came to stand by her.

Her survival instincts were beginning to kick in, telling her to run and hide while she still could.

Then her parents came into the room, and it was if all the air had been drained from it.

They looked exactly as she had remembered from her questioning when she had first entered Al Sed Dur. Her mother's brown hair was pulled back in the same signature three buns that Rey used to wear, her green eyes slowly filling with tears. Her father's hazel ones mirrored the same expression as he scratched his auburn beard.

Ben placed his hand on Rey's lower back. "Rey, this is Keldo and Kirra Palpatine, your parents."

She attempted a small, polite smile. "Nice to meet you."

They took a step towards her, causing Rey to instinctively step back.

"I'm so sorry." Kirra apologized as she began to choke up.

"It's just, you're so _beautiful._ Isn't she, Keldo?"

"Yes." Her father let out a sad chuckle.

"I never thought we could have a daughter that looks the way you do."

They stared at her mournfully, and Rey began to feel uneasy with all the attention placed on her.

"Well, um, Ben made dinner, if you guys are, uh, hungry. I know I am."

Ben picked up on her being uncomfortable. "Yes, right. Dinner sounds really good right now, actually."

Minutes later, the couples were sitting at the dinner table, eating the steak, mashed potatoes, rolls, and green salad that Ben had spent all day preparing.

The awkwardness was slowly slipping away, and they began to chat normally.

"Ben, I must say you are quite the chef. Where did you learn to cook like this?" Kirra asked.

"Thank you." He smiled politely as he swallowed a bite of potatoes.

"I actually had my mother teach me so I could impress Rey after we got married."

"He certainly did, and I've been putting the skill to good use since then." Rey smirked as Ben gave her a look.

Keldo stabbed his greens with his fork. "Were you guys married for long before arriving here?"

She shook her head. "We never got the chance. Both of us were fairly young when we died, though it was twenty years apart; but those are stories for other times. We got married right after reuniting, and we've been together ever since."

"Twenty years?" Her mother sighed. "I'm so sorry. That sounds unbearable."

"It certainly was tough, some days more so than others. Our son was a great blessing to us though, and he made things easier." Ben squeezed Rey's thigh underneath the table.

Rey smiled as she placed her hand atop his.

"You have a son? What is he like?" Both parents asked a little excitedly.

Rey beamed, as she loved gushing about her child as much as the next mother.

"His name is Zander. He is around thirty years old right now, an engineer, and is pretty much the spitting image of his father."

"Except his personality is all his mother's." Ben interjected.

"He's very smart and creative, as well as compassionate and very joyful. Not to mention he can be very spirited and prone to stubbornness."

"Which is something he _also_ inherited from his _father._ " Rey interrupted.

"Zander married Sienna, they have twins that are four, Leia-Rey and Anakin, and are expecting a baby soon."

"Sounds like they have their hands full." Keldo chuckled.

"They certainly do. We try to visit from time to time and see our grandchildren."

The couples continued to talk, until Kirra and Keldo decided that it was getting time for them to leave.

At the door, Rey's mother timidly placed a hand on her elbow.

"Look, Rey, a moment doesn't pass us where we can't feel guilty at having to leave you on Jakku." She bit her lip, and her tears began to fall.

"We failed you as parents, and saying sorry simply can't cover that. What we can do is get to know you better, if that's alright with you."

Rey smiled as she felt her emotions rise in her chest. "I think I'd like that very much, Mom and Dad."

The two woman hugged, and her father was pulled into the embrace.

Ben hung back watching, not able to help the grin that spread across his face as the family reunited.

The Palpatines said their goodbyes, and Rey went still as her hand lingered on the door.

"Rey? Are you okay?" Her husband's smooth voice drew her out of her feelings.

Rey turned to look at him, all of the battling emotions she'd been experiencing coming out in sobs.

"I don't know."

In a few short strides Ben crossed the room.

Rey felt her knees start to buckle and she wrapped her arms around him.

He picked her up, and carried her like a small child onto the sofa.

She cried into Ben's shirt as he held her, rubbing her back comfortingly while he rocked her slightly.

Rey started to calm down, and that's when words came.

"They could have been such great parents, Ben." She hiccuped and nuzzled his neck.

Ben kissed the top of her head lovingly. "I know, sweetheart. They certainly could have been."

" _But the thing is_ ," Rey sat up so she could look him in the eyes.

"If they had stayed with me, then I would have never met you. I would have missed out on the _best thing_ that has ever happened to me, and that would've been _an even bigger_ tragedy."

Ben gazed at her, his dark eyes brimming with emotion.

"You know, I made a lot of terrible choices in my life, but you, Rey Solo, weren't one of them."

Their lips met and the pair kissed passionately, their love flowing freely between them. Ben dipped her back so that she was lying down on the sofa, and he was on top of her. Rey giggled and he smirked, the heat mutual between them.

"At the end of it all though, I think everything turned out okay for us, Ben." Rey touched his cheek affectionately.

"I think so too, Rey." Ben smiled sweetly at her, before the mood shifted as he started to kiss her neck.


	27. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See notes at the end :)

The night was cold and rainy on the planet Toshi, one of the many in the Afterworld.

Three men dressed in dark cloaks were huddled together in a booth towards the back of a grubby cantina.

Their heads were bent down as they sipped on their drinks so as not to draw attention to themselves as they grumbled in low voices.

"I'm telling you, gentleman." The first man spoke, stroking a hand through his gray beard. "The fact that Anakin Skywalker could be out there somewhere, living happily with the Senator my old master had mentioned he was attached to, makes my blood boil."

"I'm with you, Dooku." The second man chimed in, his dark eyes narrowing.

"All I can think about is hurting Luke Skywalker and that scoundrel Han Solo after the stunt they pulled outside Jabba's barge on Tatooine."

The third man chugged his drink before slamming his glass down on the table.

A few people turned their heads toward the noise, and the men pulled their hoods down.

"Keep it down, Hux!" The second man hissed.

"You know very well how we're not the most welcomed in these parts."

"I _do know_ that, Fett, but I can't help but want to strangle someone at the idea of Kylo Ren being near me." Hux's pasty face was almost as red as his hair.

"I betrayed the First Order in hopes that he would go down with it, but _no_! The stupid Resistance scum gave me away, and I got shot before I could watch Ren go down in hell! _Then,_ I find out later that my effort was all for nothing because he switched sides and helped the Resistance _win!_ All for that _filthy Scavenger_ he swore meant _nothing_ to him! I swear, I'm going to make Kylo Ren _pay!_ "

Hux clenched the table in front of him as Dooku patted his arm.

"It's the whole Skywalker family, and all those that are acquainted with them. They're so-"

"Entitled." Fett wrinkled his nose.

"Exactly, my friend. They think of themselves as the Force's gift to the galaxy." Dooku swigged some more of his drink.

"Sounds like they need to be taken down a peg."

A woman stood not that far from their booth, her black hood hung low over her face as long red hair peeked out from under it.

Hux snorted. "You have no idea."

"Oh I know perfectly well enough." She snarled. "As do my children."

"I'm sorry, but who are you?"

The woman pushed her hood back, revealing to the men her glittering emerald green eyes.

"My name is Mara Jade, and I'm going to make Luke Skywalker rue the day he ruined me."

** The End **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey readers!
> 
> Well, that's a wrap on Beyond the Stars! This was my first Reylo fanfic, so I'm feeling a little sentimental right now lol. I started writing this six months ago because I was feeling depressed and upset on how TROS brought my beloved Star Wars franchise to an end, especially on how my beloved space babies were robbed. (#bensolodeservedbetter #reyloforever) I hope this fanfic cured your blues, as it certainly did mine!
> 
> As always, I greatly appreciate all the comments and love. Feel free to continue to do so as I love responding to what you guys write! They always make my day!
> 
> There is a sequel that is in the beginning stages! Kind of obvious from the ending lol. It is going to be called "Saving What We Love", and the outline is has just been developed, so stay tuned! I have a lot of ideas for this one, and will certainly be going in different directions than most Reylo fanfiction does. Please don't hate me lol. 
> 
> Those that follow my account will be the first ones to be notified of its release!
> 
> As a special treat to my loyal readers, I decided to give you guys a first look at what the summary is going to be!
> 
> "Ben and Rey Solo are happily married. They love their peaceful afterlife they have with their family. Then one day, someone unexpected turns up on Al Sed Dur, and the afterlife they know is threatened to fall apart."
> 
> Dun dun dun! Who do you think it is? Drop your guesses in the comments below!
> 
> Once again, thank you all! I can't wait to write some more for you guys. :)


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